Social media behind almost half of racism and discrimination complaints, Ahpra says

Ahpra has released findings of a review of 477 notifications relating to racism and discrimination received between 1 July 2023 and 28 February 2026. The review followed a September 2025 request from Health Ministers for more work to be undertaken on racism and discrimination, including antisemitism. It found that almost half (44%) of the notifications in the period arose from practitioner conduct on social media, particularly in relation to antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Of the 477 notifications in the review, 128 related to antisemitism while 104 were about Islamophobia — 116 notifications about discrimination were not related to race. Further, of the notifications related to antisemitism and Islamophobia, 80–85% related to social media activity, while the notifications relating to other forms of racism and discrimination were more likely to have originated in a clinical practice setting, Ahpra said.

Five notifications led Ahpra to refer four practitioners to tribunals, while another 28 notifications resulted in regulatory action in the form of restrictions, conditions or cautions. In 406 of the 439 notifications finalised by 28 February, no regulatory action was required. Ahpra said this occurred for various reasons, such as the practitioner voluntarily undertook education, the concerns raised had already been dealt with in another place, or the concerns raised were not substantiated. Ahpra said it will release data on a six-monthly basis to track progress.

Adopting definitions and developing internal guidance to support early identification and consistent categorisation of racism and discrimination-related issues was a key action from the review for Ahpra. Ahpra said it has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a reference tool supported by the handbook released by Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in May. Ahpra also said that work is underway to source a definition of Islamophobia from trusted community representatives.

“These definitions do not change the existing codes of conduct and guidance,” Ahpra said. “Ahpra is committed to free speech and the right of practitioners to enter into professional and public debates. However, if commentary becomes demeaning or denigrating, or directed toward specific members of the community, Ahpra and the National Boards may take regulatory action.”

The review identified opportunities to strengthen consistency, communication and timeliness and confirmed that Ahpra and the National Boards had generally applied appropriate and proportionate regulatory thresholds when assessing these matters, Ahpra said.

“Racism and discrimination have no place in health care,” said Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner. “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 health care.

“This review demonstrates our commitment to identifying risks early and dealing with matters as swiftly and effectively as possible — public safety depends on it,” Untersteiner added. “People need to know they can raise concerns with Ahpra and we will take the appropriate action.”

The review found that the numbers should not be interpreted as reflecting the true prevalence of racism and discrimination in health care, as these matters are likely to be under-reported, particularly by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. To prevent harm, Ahpra said it remains committed to strengthening culturally safe approaches to regulation and recognises the unique impact of racism on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

To examine how its notifications system responds to racism affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Ahpra said it has commissioned a dedicated Cultural Safety Evaluation. The National Director, Health Regulation (Cultural Safety) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit will operationalise the recommendations from the Yardhura Walani institute.

You can read the review at www.ahpra.gov.au/Eliminating-racism-and-discrimination/Notifications-review-findings-and-actions.

Ahpra also has guidance on social media and how to meet your obligations under the National Law, which you can read at www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Social-media-guidance.

If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, 1800RESPECT has a 24/7 support service that can help; please call 1800 737 732.

Image credit: iStock.com/AJ_Watt