GP bollocked me for a Facebook comment

[Lliria]

So, I don't know if I ll be the only one but basically my GP used my telephone consult to bollock me for a comment I made on FB.
Like all local FB groups there's always a whinge topic and even though our GP practice is very good sometimes the 7am App for making appointments just doesn't work so by the time I can call though all the appointments have gone sometimes by 9am. So I commented on a post that was already running about this- nothing mean just agreeing..
Weeks later I managed to book a phone consult off the 7am App. The GP called at 7.20 then 2 minutes into the chat had a proper go at me about my comment and said I'd hurt people's feelings etc.
I was shocked that a medical professional sabotaged my appointment to do this.
What I wrote in my private life has nothing to do with my medical consult - surely
Why is he reading through everyone s comments then using his position to say something ?
I feel it's inappropriate.
I've never even seen him as a patient.
I'm actually quite upset and feel I've taken the can for the other 62 people that made comments that day.
Maybe he was stressed but it's not ethical is it ?

Put in a formal complaint that the call was for the purposes of discussing a medical problem and not for taking you to task about a comment you made on social media.

If they wanted to address you about your comment, believing it to be unfair then they should have contacted you privately on a separate occasion.

Reminds me of the time when I went to the 'emergency' weekend doctor and whinged about the lack of a GP in our village...to the new village GP who was on emergency duty. Ooops.

@nocoolnamesleft I didn't say it was crap , I made an overview comment. But hey strange times. Ironically the Practice has a FB page

That's not okay and you'd be within your rights to complain.

What you say on sm should not in anyway effect how your Gp speaks to you! It's completely unprofessional.

It was unprofessional of them, but I kind of also understand the GP's frustration. Comments on social media do have wider implications.

@BristolBorn @BristolBorn@TheShellBeach hi sorry tagged BB,
I actually apologized for any offence caused and we carried on with consult

Completely inappropriate. And if there is a problem with a local practice I have no problem with people discussing concerns on fb as long as individuals aren’t named or targeted.
I think people can come together via local social media to make complaints and try to improve a poor system.
I speak as a retired nurse. If a gp is having a go at a patient like this he is totally out of line and I would contact the practice manager about it.

Tbh I’m in favour of this.

Too many people shred businesses online without a thought as to how it might affect them. If you made a comment you should be ready to stand by it.

@whenemmafallsinlove yep ! Looks like .

if you used to be a dentist, possibly well known in the community ? I think your comments might hold more weight than the average Facebook user.
Would you have like your former GP joining in a public whinge about you on social media.

I have recently retired from the NHS and don't miss the aggression and constant complaints from patients while we worked flat out. This is a vicious circle, practices are overworked and struggling so patients are not happy and complain or become aggressive so staff leave and it gets worse. I and several colleagues all retired at a similar time which means our poor ex-colleagues who remain face more of it and, generally, have no right to reply so, while it may not be best practice, I have some sympathy with him

We all need to remember that social media is not private and there can be repercussions

You complained online that it is hard to get appointments with their system because, indeed, their system makes it hard to get appointments.

You eventually managed to get an appointment. The GP wasted the appointment by being upset at you that you find it hard to get appointments and are happy to agree with other people, who have the same issue, about that.

The GP is a prat. They might be a prat here because they're stressed out and overworked - or they might just be a prat. If their system means it's bloody hard to make an appointment, obviously people will be pissed off that it's hard to make appointments. I'd complain to the practice manager about the conversation, the waste of the appointment time and their booking system. If they're going to have a go at you anyway, they might as well have a real reason to be upset.

This

The doctor was wrong no doubt, he was unprofessional and should not have done that. I would actually raise a complaint against that.

But don’t the NHS have websites for general practices inviting feedback from patients? And most GP surgeries seem to have websites where you can also leave feedback. Why would these exist if they didn’t want patients opinions?

I think the GP was unprofessional discussing a Facebook comment during a medical consultation and probably would have stopped the consultation as I’d feel he was prejudiced against me.

I think if the GP wanted to discuss your facebook comment, they could have called you at 7am to make an appointment to talk about it with you later that day (if you could fit them in). Otherwise it was completely inappropriate to hijack a very time pressured phonecall for an issue not relevant to the appointment. I believe you are only able to discuss one medical problem at each doctor’s appointment even if you have multiple problems that might be interacting with each other. If they want the courtesy of people abiding by their rules, then they should do so as well.

Imagine if you called up BT and the helpline person told you off for a comment about BT on facebook the week before….

If they have a FB page, like any business, they are going to receive comments they don’t like. That’s life. And unless you said something entirely untrue or defamatory, it was a waste of his time and yours, to raise it,

You deserved it.

End of his tether, I expect. GPs are human too.

OP it’s a free country, GP is paid by public purse to provide you with healthcare not police your constructive feedback. You are more than entitled to voice your opinion and nothing you said was remotely controversial. Your appointment should not have been hijacked by a GP with an axe to grind. They only get 7 mins per appt , they need to stick to the job in hand!

Appalling behaviour by the GP. I’d put in a complaint.

Totally agree,the appt was the wrong time to bring this up.

Bunch of NHS staff on this thread who think they're above criticism. It sound alike your comment was mild and certainly not a personal attack against anyone specific. It was unprofessional of him to comment on that at all, especially during your consult. I'd report and move practice if you can.

Did you actually get any medical advice?

I would complain about that. Completely inappropriate.