Scientific debate, misinformation, and the COVID-19 pandemic: Considerations from a medical regulatory perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by misinformation, including claims that COVID-19 is a hoax and denial of scientific ideas. This article focuses on one important aspect of professional behaviour related to the pandemic, the involvement in the United Kingdom of medical doctors in discussions about COVID-19 who have been deemed to have crossed a line regarding what is acceptable and professionally appropriate freedom of expression. Important considerations involve the approaches of the General Medical Council (GMC) as instigator of misconduct proceedings and Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) as adjudicator, to freedom of expression in the context of article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and otherwise, and the extent to which their decisions and other professional guidance assists doctors in seeking to predict the professional boundaries to their freedom of expression. The challenges are exacerbated by the fact that COVID-19 is the first global pandemic in the Internet age. Voices propagating minority, unevidenced, even conspiratorial opinions may readily access an audience of thousands, even millions. If those propagating such opinions are medical doctors, the trust placed in their words may be magnified.