Dealing with unfair comments on websites
Health service providers are increasingly finding that people are using social and professional websites to comment about specific providers and staff members. NHS Choices is one such website, which allows members of the public to rate and review NHS services.
Comments on NHS Choices and other similar websites can sometimes be inaccurate, unfair or inappropriate, which can potentially damage an organisation or staff member’s reputation.
This guidance sets out how health service providers can take steps to have defamatory material removed from websites, including NHS Choices. It sets out how the law can be used to get comments modified or removed.
For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this guidance note should be relied upon as constituting legal advice. If you have a specific issue relating to the law of defamation, we would recommend that providers seek independent legal advice from a specialist defamation solicitor.
