Martin WHYTE

On 18 April 2018, 27 October 2018 and 23 November 2018 Dr Whyte posted comments on Twitter (now known as X) which were grossly offensive. This conduct does not meet the standards required of a doctor. It risks bringing the profession into disrepute and it must not be repeated. The required standards are set out in Good medical practice (2024) and associated guidance. Good medical practice states: 81. You must make sure that your conduct justifies patients’ trust in you and the public’s trust in your profession. Using social media as a medical professional states: 4. The standards expected of you as a medical professional do not change because you are communicating through social media, rather than face to face or through other methods of communication. However social media is constantly evolving, as are societal norms and expectations. 7. How you behave when using social media matters. Medical professionals, like everyone else, have rights to freedom of belief, privacy, and expression. But exercising these rights when using social media as a medical professional has to be balanced with the possible impact on other people’s rights and interests. 14. You must not use social media to abuse, discriminate against, bully, harass or deliberately target any individual or group. Whilst this failing in itself is not so serious as to require any restriction on Dr Whyte’s registration, it is necessary in response to issue this formal warning. This warning will be published on the medical register in line with our publication and disclosure policy, which can be found at www.gmc-uk.org/disclosurepolicy.