Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what definition, guidance, or evaluative standard (1) the Department for Health and Social Care, (2) NHS employers, or (3) the General Medical Council, rely upon when determining whether a (a) statement, (b) social-media post, (c) repost, (d) share, (e) ‘like’, (f) comment, (g) private message, or (h) any other online action, constitutes a ‘pro-Palestinian’ view for the purposes of investigation or disciplinary action.

The Department does not hold this data on investigations or sanctions centrally.

The regulators of registered medical professionals, including the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, are independent of the Government, are directly accountable to Parliament, and are responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government. The Department does not have oversight of regulators’ guidance, local employment policies, or actions taken by National Health Service employers at a local level.

Healthcare professionals, like all citizens, are entitled to their political opinions and have the right to campaign on issues. However, professional standards require that they must not express their personal beliefs, whether political or otherwise, to patients in ways that exploit their vulnerability or could reasonably cause them distress. The Government is clear that staff must demonstrate the core values of the NHS and demonstrate neutrality in the workplace. This neutrality supports the delivery of the highest quality of patient care, ensures patients can feel comfortable with the care they receive, and promotes strong working relationships with colleagues.