Weight Loss Community Guidelines

Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive forum for all our weight loss service members, so you can share experiences, tips and offer support, as well as receive updates about our services. 

We (Outcome Diagnostics Ltd, trading as Medicspot) currently facilitate this forum through a WhatsApp Group (“the Community”), hosted on a platform operated by WhatsApp Ireland Ltd.

Participation is entirely voluntary. By joining, you acknowledge that WhatsApp acts as an independent data controller, and that your phone number and profile information will be visible to other members. Please review WhatsApp’s own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy before joining.

Participation in the Community is optional and not a condition of receiving clinical care or programme services.

The Community is a peer-support group and not a regulated clinical environment. No clinical advice, diagnosis, or prescribing takes place within the Community.

To make sure everyone has a great experience, please read and agree to the following guidelines to join the Community: 

1. Respect and kindness

• Treat all members with respect and kindness. Discrimination, harassment, offensive/ insulting language or hate speech will not be tolerated.
• Use supportive and encouraging language.
• This is a judgment-free zone. Serious harassment or threats may be referred to appropriate authorities.

We are committed to creating an inclusive space under the Equality Act 2010; discrimination or harassment on any protected characteristic (including gender, age, disability, race, religion, or sexual orientation) is strictly prohibited.

2. Privacy and confidentiality

• Do not share personal information, including addresses, phone numbers, and medical details, of yourself or other Community members outside of the Community.  Think carefully before sharing information about people such as friends and family with the Community. Share only what you are comfortable making visible to others.
• Respect the privacy of other members. What is shared in the Community stays in the Community.
• Do not contact members outside the group without their express written permission.
• By joining, you consent to your phone number and profile name being visible to other members.
• Medicspot processes only minimal data (your phone number and group participation) to facilitate the Community in line with UK GDPR.

3. Accurate information

• Share credible sources only. Avoid misinformation.
• Never share or follow medical instructions from other members. This includes advice on injections, medications, or supplements.
• Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for personal medical advice.
• If you have a clinical question, contact Medicspot directly through our official support channels rather than through the Community.
• Any health-related statements shared by members represent personal experiences, not verified medical facts, and should not be relied upon.

4. Constructive communication

• Stay on topic. Keep discussions relevant to the community’s purpose of weight loss and support.
• Be constructive. Offer constructive feedback. Avoid negativity, such as criticising a Community member’s rate of progress or comparing them unfavourably to others. Aim to uplift and encourage. Everyone is on their own weight loss journey.
• Bullying, intimidation, or public shaming will result in immediate removal from the Community.

5. No promotion or spam

• Do not use the Community to promote personal businesses, services, products or your social media account(s), or to offer or promote services or products sold by other businesses. 
• Refrain from posting repetitive content or spam.
• If you share links to any websites or documents please ensure that these do not include any inappropriate content such as advertising of cigarettes or other tobacco/ nicotine products or the encouragement of behaviour prejudicial to health or weight loss or video content given an 18 certificate in the UK.

6. Engagement and participation

• Regular participation is encouraged to get the most out of the Community. Share your journey, support others, and join discussions.
• It’s okay to disagree or have a different point of view, but do so respectfully and constructively.  Do not do anything that would bring the Community or Medicspot into disrepute.
• Do not impersonate others or allow others to access the group using your device.
• Medicspot will always act reasonably when considering any potential breach of these guidelines.

7. Content sharing

• Only share content that is appropriate, relevant and beneficial to the community. Avoid off-topic discussions.
• Do not share copyrighted material without permission, and do not claim posts from others within the Community as your own message or content.
• Do not post material containing viruses, malware, or harmful code.
• Medicspot does not endorse or verify user-generated content and cannot guarantee its accuracy.
• By posting content in the Community, you grant Medicspot a limited, non-exclusive licence to display your message within the group and to republish anonymised or edited versions of your content (for example, removing names, photos, or identifiable details) on our website, social media channels, or marketing materials for educational or promotional purposes, without additional consent. Identifiable information will only be used or shared with your explicit permission.

8. Conflict resolution

• If you encounter any issues or conflicts, report them to us to review and moderate as needed by tagging the Medicspot account.
• Resolve disagreements and issues in private to limit the impact to the rest of the Community members.
• If you feel unsafe or harassed, contact Medicspot support immediately for assistance.

9. Compliance with laws

• Ensure all posts and interactions comply with relevant UK laws and regulations, including data protection, privacy laws, defamation laws and the Equality Act.
• You personally remain responsible and liable for any content shared within the Community. Medicspot is not responsible or liable for any content shared by any individual within the Community.
• You will need to comply with the terms and conditions for using WhatsApp.
• We do not actively monitor all messages but will review and act on any flagged posts that could risk user safety or violate these guidelines.
• In cases involving suspected criminal activity or imminent risk to health or safety, we may share relevant information with law enforcement or emergency services in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6(1)(d) and the common-law duty of confidentiality.

10. Moderation and enforcement

• Adhere to these Community guidelines at all times.
• Violations of these guidelines may result in warnings, temporary suspension, deletion of posts and/or permanent removal from the community.
• Medicspot does not actively moderate the community, and will only respond when specific messages are highlighted to us as breaching our Community guidelines
• We may change or move the Community to a different, more secure platform in the future. You will be notified and can choose whether to join.
• While we do not provide 24-hour monitoring, we take reports of harm, abuse, or illegal content seriously and act promptly when notified.

By agreeing to these guidelines, you help us maintain a positive, supportive, and safe environment for everyone. Thank you for being a part of our Community!

I agree to the following:

• To abide by the above Community guidelines at all times when participating in the Community, and that I remain personally responsible and liable for all content shared within the Community. I acknowledge that Medicspot is not liable or responsible for the content shared in the Community
• Not to discuss medical questions or questions related to the clinical aspects of the weight loss programme in the Community, and that I will raise these via Medicspot’s customer service channels and clinical escalation form as appropriate.
• I consent to my phone number and all publicly available personal details on WhatsApp being shared with Medicspot weight loss Community members.
• I understand that Medicspot will not actively monitor or moderate the Community and will only review content flagged by members directly.
• Medicspot alone will determine whether these Community guidelines have been breached.  I accept that I may be removed from the Community and/ or my content deleted if I am suspected of or proven to have broken any of the Community guidelines.
• The community is facilitated by Medicspot at our discretion.  We may change or move platforms, or suspend or stop facilitating the Community.