21 hours ago
The doctors’ union is warning a New South Wales Health social media policy being drafted will gag frontline health workers speaking up publicly for patient care in Australia, as the government agency insists it is an update to an existing policy.
According to the “final draft” document, social media subject to the rules includes “internal communication tools” such as Microsoft Teams, and instant messaging software applications including WhatsApp, as well as social media networking sites and forums for discussion.
NSW Health’s social media guidelines, published on their website, includes an FAQ which states “there is no such thing as ‘private’ social media … remember that any content you believe to be confidential can be copied or recorded and posted by someone else”.
The final draft document states “staff should report any concerns about their own use of social media or that of a colleague, to their manager”.
Under the principles for personal use of social media, it instructs that staff must not “engage in any activity that may adversely affect … public trust in their employing agency”.
The union has seen a growing number of cases where NSW Health is “using internal policies to intimidate, silence or discipline medical staff who speak out publicly”, Dr Nicholas Spooner, the president of the NSW branch of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation, said.
“The latest staff communications policy is a clear attempt to gag frontline voices.”
The state’s psychiatrists threatened to resign in December and the public doctors’ strike in April saw many workers take to social media to speak out about workforce issues compromising patient care in Australia.
Asmof councillor Dr Ian Korbell said the health ministry wants frontline workers to be compliant employees who do their job and do not have any role in advocacy “but doctors actually have a responsibility to advocate for their patients”.
“As a psychiatrist, I advocate for change in the mental health sector, which, in my view, in New South Wales is underperforming at a really poor level, and I think the only way for those changes to happen is actually to … put this to the people, because the people are the only thing that changes politicians’ minds.
“The idea that advocacy for improvements in the system is a bad thing, but putting up with an inadequate service is a good thing, seems ill-informed.”
Korbell said the inclusion of internal messaging as part of the policy was “Orwellian” with frontline healthcare workers needing to be able to debrief and let off steam.
NSW Health states its core values are collaboration, openness, respect and empowerment but “the problem is that the actual culture isn’t like that”, Korbell said.
A NSW Health spokesperson said the agency was updating its existing social media guidance for staff in line with the “use of social media in a private capacity” guidance published by the Office of the Public Service Commission in March.
The agency said it was consulting with NSW Health staff, health agencies and unions on this new draft, which is “yet to be finalised and published”.
“NSW Health is committed to fostering an environment of respect and inclusivity, and support the responsible and respectful use of social media,” a spokesperson said.
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“This includes the right of all individuals to express their views, support causes or engage in public discussions, including advocating in relation to their roles and health services,” the spokesperson said.
The document encourages staff “to raise concerns or complaints through internal channels rather than social media”.
Dr Fahad Khan, a junior doctor speaking as an Asmof delegate for the south-western Sydney local health district, said issues of working conditions have been raised internally for years and the strike was taken for the first time since 1998 because none of the existing channels had worked.
Khan said the policy also seems aimed at stifling the many healthcare workers who have been vocal on social media about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Separately, the peak body for general practitioners has expressed concern about the growing number of GPs who have reported being subjected to frivolous or vexatious complaints to the health regulator about social media posts opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.
Khan said the draft policy being proposed by NSW Health “sounds very different to the current policy” with “extra focus on protecting the reputation of the governmental organisation.”
Khan and Korbell both highlighted that frontline healthcare workers are often needing to speak out to correct misinformation put out by the government. Khan gave as an example as when, during the strike, the government had to acknowledge the claim that chemotherapy appointments had been cancelled was incorrect after doctors challenged them.
Dr Anthony Brown, the chief executive of Health Consumers NSW, said the public need to know about the safety of public services in order to be able to know they can trust those services as well as for the accountability of how their tax dollars are being spent.
“We need to know that they’re effective, and they’re safe places to go.”
