Social media driving 44% of AHPRA racism and discrimination complaints

Social media is now behind almost half of all Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) racism and discrimination notifications, fresh data from the watchdog has revealed.
 
In response, AHPRA has updated its social media guidance to practitioners with examples of online activities that are likely to warrant regulatory action, as well as further explaining its adoption of a contested antisemitism definition.
 
A review of the regulator’s handling of 477 notifications relating to racism and discrimination received between 1 July 2023 and 28 February 2026 revealed 44% arose from practitioner conduct on social media.
 
Of those, 128 related to antisemitism and 104 related to Islamophobia, with up to 85% of these relating to social media activity.
 
‘Practitioners will not be investigated simply for expressing views,’ AHPRA clarified.
 
‘Practitioners can continue to speak about global events and advocate for patients, communities and colleagues.
 
‘However, all expression must remain consistent with professional obligations and must not involve discrimination, harassment or harm.’
 
The watchdog said the 477 notifications are not a reflection of the true prevalence of racism in healthcare as incidents are likely to be under-reported, particularly by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
 
AHPRA also addressed its contested adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
 
‘AHPRA is committed to free speech and the right of practitioners to enter into professional and public debates,’ it said.
 
‘However, if commentary becomes demeaning or denigrating, or directed toward specific members of the community, AHPRA and the National Boards may take regulatory action.’
 
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright has met with AHPRA Chief Executive Justin Untersteiner to follow up on member queries about its recent adoption of the IHRA definition.
 
‘This is a welcome move by AHPRA to provide clarity about its processes and also giving some visibility to the scale of race-driven notifications that we’re seeing,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘We’ve been talking with AHPRA for many months highlighting members’ concerns around notifications.
 
‘The release of this review and additional clarification from AHPRA will be helpful in providing the greater transparency that our members have been asking for.’
 
The review also identified several opportunities for AHPRA to improve the regulatory experience and reduce practitioner distress. 
 
It comes just days after a Facebook post from a New South Wales clinic welcoming two new GPs to the area this month prompted a spate of racist responses.
 
It was a response that left the RACGP ‘deeply saddened’ as GPs, politicians and community members joined forces to condemn the abuse.
 
AHPRA’s review also revealed it has significantly reduced the time taken to finalise notifications identifying racism and discrimination, from 132 days in 2024–25 to 53 days in 2025–26.
 
It referred four practitioners, with five notifications, to tribunals, and another 28 notifications resulted in regulatory action in the form of restrictions, conditions or cautions.
 
Mr Untersteiner said the review follows a September 2025 request from health ministers for more work to be undertaken on racism and discrimination, including antisemitism.
 
‘Racism and discrimination have no place in healthcare,’ he said.
 
‘AHPRA and the National Boards are clear – no practitioner should be acting in a way that undermines trust, creates fear or exclusion, or prevents people from seeking or receiving healthcare.
 
‘People need to know they can raise concerns with AHPRA, and we will take the appropriate action.’
 
Overall, the review found AHPRA applied ‘appropriate and proportionate regulatory risk thresholds’, however, there are ‘clear opportunities’ to strengthen management of low-risk matters.
 
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AHPRA Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency discrimination racism