Here we are in December, the season of goodwill! Yet on social media, kindness and Christmas cheer appear to have eluded a number of people, leading to negativity and, sadly, in some instances, personal attacks on practice feeds.

We’ve consistently heard from practices that this trend has been on the increase since COVID-19, and when our GP teams work so hard and under such enormous pressure – particularly this month with the antibiotic supply issues and widespread illness – it’s the last thing we want to see.

So, what can we do? December is the ideal time to share many different sources of information to really grow your sense of community. While you’ll never please everyone, the festive season gives you the opportunity to show the great work your practice is doing and to champion your team.

Here’s some inspiration for your social media accounts for the next couple of weeks to help keep your patients informed.

Prescriptions – Pop a post on your feed about ordering prescriptions in advance and your current lead times. We’re all under additional pressure at the moment due to the demand for antibiotics, so if you’re a dispensing practice, you may find this is increasing the period you need to prepare prescriptions.

Out-of-hours arrangements for Christmas and New Year – Pin this post to the top of your Facebook page! You’ll hopefully answer a few questions before patients pick up the phone. Detail your opening hours over the festive period, your arrangements for any online systems, and what to do in an emergency while you’re closed.

Champion your community – This time of year is always difficult for the homeless, elderly people who live alone, or those under financial pressure, and this year, with the cost-of-living crisis, it’s going to be harder than ever for many people to enjoy the festive season. Have a look at posts from local foodbanks, warm clothing charities, and community ventures offering Christmas dinner for those who, for whatever reason, will not be able to enjoy their own this year. By sharing these posts on your practice page, the message will reach more people who might benefit from support.

Strep A – Understandably, practices are seeing increased demand for appointments where children are showing symptoms of Strep A, and you could be under pressure for availability. It’s a good idea to keep your patients informed by a quick post on your page. For additional Strep A resources, please check here.

Spread some festive cheer – Why not share a jovial post to engage your followers? Ask them which they prefer: Christmas pudding or mince pies? Or maybe what they prefer for Christmas dinner – turkey, beef or a veggie option? There are no rules for a fun post; just make something up that you think might make people smile!

If you’ve found these ideas useful, you might like to take a look at Marketing Alerts as part of Practice Index PLUS. Each month, we bring you a range of ready-made posts for your practice’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, saving you valuable time.

If you’d like to learn more about managing negativity and online relationship management, we have a session focusing on techniques and tools in January. You can book a place here.

And all that’s left for us to say is, have a fantastic Christmas! We’ll be back in January with more advice, tips and support!