Social Media Policy

This policy provides guidance for members of the practice on using social media internally and externally, this policy helps identify and mitigate risks associated with the use of social media.

For the purpose of this policy, “social media” is online social networks used to disseminate information through online interaction. This includes, but is not limited to: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, any personal blog, content sharing websites such as You Tube, Reddit and any public commentary you may make (such as a comment/response to any post on social media).

 Regardless of whether social media is used for business related activity or for personal reasons, the following policy requirements apply to all GP’s and practice staff of the practice. GP’s and practice staff are legally responsible for their online activities, and found to be in breach of this policy could face a warning, disciplinary action or employment termination depending on the severity of the breach. Our social media policy is designed to protect the privacy of our patients and all staff affiliated with the clinic.

The practice will appoint a staff member as a social media officer responsible for managing and monitoring the practices social media accounts. All posts on the practices social media website must be approved by this staff member. The practice reserves the right to remove any content at its own discretion. At the time of writing Forest Hill Medical Centre has no social media platforms and as such no such staff member should be posting online on behalf of the clinic. If you see/hear of any person claiming to represent Forest Hill Medical Centre on a social media platform please advise the social media Officer and Practice manager immediately.

When using the practice’s social media, practice staff will not

• post any material that:
• Is unlawful, threatening, defamatory, pornographic, inflammatory, menacing or offensive
• Infringes or breaches another person’s rights (including intellectual property rights) or privacy, or misuses the practices or another person’s confidential information (eg do not submit confidential information relating to our patients, personal information of staff, or information concerning the practice’s business operations that have not been made public)
• Is materially damaging to the practice’s reputation or image, or another individual
• Is in breach of any of the practices policies or procedures

• Use social media to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages, or solicit other uses to buy or sell products or services or donate money
• Impersonate another person or entity (eg by pretending to be someone else or another practice employee or other participant when you submit a contribution to social media)
• Tamper with, hinder the operation of, or make unauthorised changes to the social media sites
• Knowingly transmit any virus or other disabling feature to or via the practice’s social media account, or use any email to a third party, or the social media site
• Attempt to do or permit another person to do any of these things
• Claim or imply that you are speaking on the practices behalf, unless you are authorised to do so
• Disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to the practice, or to any third party that has disclosed this information to the practice

• Be defamatory, harassing or in violation of any other applicable law
• Include confidential or copyrighted information (eg music, videos, text belonging to third parties)
• Violate any other applicable policy of the practice

The practice’s social media channels are part of our customer service and should be monitored and dealt with regularly

The practice complies with AHPRA national law and takes responsible steps to remove testimonials that advertise their health services (which may include comments about the practitioners themselves) The practice is not responsible for removing (or trying to have removed) unsolicited testimonials published on a third party website or in social media accounts over which they do not control

Personal social media use

Staff are free to personally engage in social media outside of work hours, as long as their actions do not have the potential to bring the practice into disrepute. Employees may not represent personal views expressed as those of this practice

Any social media posts by practice staff on their personal social media platforms must not reveal confidential information about the practice or a person who uses the practice (eg staff should not post information relating to patients or other staff, or information concerning the practice’s business operations that have not been made public)

Staff should respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure and other applicable laws when publishing on social media platforms