TikTok, The Diary of a CEO and ‘Experts’:

The Age of Misinformation

The Consequences of Health Misinformation

Once upon a time, patients came to clinics clutching printouts from dubious health websites, believing that they either had a rare cancer or an even rarer infection. Enter the age of podcasts and TikTok, and the scenario has evolved – but not necessarily for the better. The rise of bite-sized video wisdom and charismatic influencers has turbocharged the spread of health misinformation, and the ripple effects are hitting our profession hard.

Take, for instance, a recent BBC report about The Diary of a CEO podcast by Steven Bartlett, which highlighted just how easily harmful health myths can spread. It’s part of a broader trend: as more people look to social media for answers, trust in health professionals is being replaced by trust in... well, anyone with a camera and an internet connection.

Figuring out who to trust in a sea of information is no easy feat. But the reality is, that none of us can be experts in everything, and assessing risks accurately often requires knowledge beyond our grasp. At some point, we have to lean on others. The catch? Who we choose to trust makes all the difference. The scientific community often gets accused of being “influenced” by so-called experts. Well, newsflash: everyone is influenced by someone. The key is whether you’re influenced by people who’ve spent years understanding the field or by a TikTok creator with good lighting.

Doctors and academics are considered “experts” in their specific fields, but becoming an expert isn’t a power trip; it’s an exercise in humility. The deeper you dive into medicine, the more you realise just how complex it all is.

Scepticism isn’t inherently bad—it’s actually a cornerstone of scientific progress. History is filled with brilliant minds poking holes in accepted ideas to drive breakthroughs. But let’s be real: not all scepticism is created equal. That’s why we have the scientific method. We don’t just sit around pondering the mysteries of the universe; we do the hard work, testing and validating theories with the tools of science.

It’s gruelling work. Reading a dense, 11-page PubMed study is tough (understanding it, even tougher). So, it’s not surprising that your average person might gravitate toward a 60-second TikTok video that makes everything sound simple. It’s comforting. We know that while experts should absolutely be challenged, they need to be challenged by other experts who understand the evidence, the process, and the rules of science.

Yes, doctors and scientists have gotten things wrong before—and they’re often the first to admit it. But who’s historically been the one to prove them wrong and push the field forward? Other doctors and other scientists, armed with peer-reviewed research and experiments.

Dodgy Research Practices: A CV Boomerang You Don’t Want

Research misconduct seems to be multiplying in medicine. It’s no longer just “pay to get published”—now it’s “pay to slap your name on someone else’s work.” Let’s keep our On-Call community out of these ethical minefields because trust us, it will come back to bite you later.

No genuine academic is going to be wowed by this on a CV or during an interview. Many of these sketchy journals operate outside the UK, preying on UK doctors to boost their legitimacy. Sure, we get it—speciality training requirements can feel like a pressure cooker, and you hear advice like “just play the game.” But let’s not lose sight of what research is really about.

The scientific process is our best tool for understanding the world. We owe it to ourselves and our profession to make sure our work stands up to scrutiny and actually contributes to progress—not just a line on a CV. Let’s aim for robust research, and not sabotage our own applications with this nonsense.

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GPs: The Reluctant Referees of the Welfare State

Why Fit Notes Are More Than Just Paperwork?

Have our GPs ever been more strained? It seems every day brings a new addition to the mountain of responsibilities on our GPs’ shoulders. The latest? Acting as unofficial officers for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Fit notes/ sick notes have become a major part of what GPs do, with over a million more being issued annually now than five years ago.

Dr. James Howarth, a UK GP, recently spoke to Channel 4, highlighting how these complex demands transform time-pressed, 10-minute consultations into assessments of welfare eligibility. “It’s not what we signed up for,” he said, highlighting the growing discontent within the profession.

Meanwhile, the government’s plans to boost economic activity are sparking debates about the surge of UK health-related workplace benefits. Compared to other G7 nations, the UK’s economic inactivity rates remain stubbornly high. A recent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests that not only are more people starting health-related benefit claims, but fewer are ending them.

The pandemic is often cited as a key factor behind this trend. Yet, intriguingly, nearly all other countries—despite facing similar challenges—have seen their health-related benefit claims stabilise or decline. So why is the UK the odd one out?

A Growing Puzzle

Data tells a curious story. While older populations have historically faced challenges staying in work due to poor health, the fastest-growing group of claimants today are actually under 40. Awards in this demographic have surged by 150%, with two key drivers: musculoskeletal conditions, but mainly, mental health issues.

Some have highlighted the rigidity of our system. It offers a binary choice: either you’re fit to work, or you’re not. 94% of those signed off as sick are signed off as ‘Not fit to work’. There’s no room for nuance—no acknowledgement that someone might manage certain types of work while struggling to do others. Add to this the ongoing strain on mental health services and the broader NHS, and the challenges only deepen.

Other factors also warrant consideration. Could our nation-leading obesity rates be contributing to the rise in musculoskeletal and mental health problems? Could the problem be rooted in how long-term unemployment itself exacerbates loneliness and mental health issues, particularly for younger people who’ve never entered the workplace? Without the social skills and routine work provides, some may face compounding barriers to re-entry.

Andrew Marr recently captured the gravity of this issue in The New Statesman:

“There is nothing progressive, nothing social democratic and nothing socialist about being content with large swathes of your adult population wilting away on sickness benefits.”

As doctors, this isn’t just about issuing fit notes. It’s about grappling with the implications for the health of our patients, the economy that sustains our health service, and the broader societal impact.

So, On-Call community, over to you:

• What UK-specific factors do you think are driving these trends?

• How can our system better address the needs of those on the cusp of workability?

• And, critically, how do we ensure our GPs can focus on what they do best—providing care, not acting as reluctant referees for the welfare system?

We love to hear from our readers!
Email us to share your thoughts on this issue.

“The cancelled medical apprenticeship is great news. Invest the time, money and effort in workable solutions to continue widening access, please. More needs to be done regarding underprivileged student access and this wasn’t it.”

“Don’t forget NICE is constantly doing cost-benefit analyses, not purely clinical efficacy. A NICE guideline will tell you the most cost-effective way to treat a population of people with a certain condition in the NHS”

"Some trusts might cancel your locum shifts later in the week if you were to call in sick tomorrow. Their logic? If you're too sick to work your regular shift, you're too sick for the extra cash shifts. This policy exists thanks to a few bad apples turning ‘sick day’ into ‘payday.’"

“How’s your luck? Of the 9 Christmases I've been on a rota where I could have worked on Christmas, this one will be the 6th I've had to work. My 5th as a night shift.”

Email us to share what’s on your mind in our next issue!

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At On-Call, we know you’re too busy saving lives to wrestle with a 2m x 2m Financial Times in the hospital canteen. So here’s this week’s financial snippet for our consultant colleagues: earning between £100,000 and £125,140? Brace yourself. For every £2 earned above £100,000, you lose £1 of your £12,500 personal allowance. By £125,140, it’s gone, effectively taxing income in this range at 60%. It’s called a “stealth tax” because it’s invisible in the HMRC guidelines—but it hits your wallet loud and clear.

Add 2% National Insurance, student loans, and NHS pension contributions, and if you’ve got kids, crossing £100k also means losing access to Tax-Free Childcare.

Fight back: claim professional subscriptions and exam fees. Consider private pension contributions to stay under £100,000 or perhaps, consider swapping overtime work for non-cash perks like extra holiday days so you can sit at home with a cuppa and catch up on the On-Call news editions you have missed.