Millions of young people feeling let down by the NHS are turning to TikTok as one in three young people turn to social media for medical advice

Millions of young people, feeling let down by the NHS, are turning to social media for medical advice, according to a survey.

Influencers on TikTok and Instagram are increasingly taking the place of doctors as patients complain they are not taken seriously.

A third of Gen Z and a quarter of Millennials – around six million people in the UK – say they rely on health information platforms.

And this despite the fact that experts have been warning for years about the dangers of medical advice on the Internet, where incorrect information is widespread.

The Hall & Partners study is based on a survey of 10,500 people over the age of 18 in the UK, US, Germany, China and Japan conducted last summer.

It found that nearly half of UK patients were frustrated by not having enough time with doctors and a lack of empathy.

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One in four said they felt misunderstood, while one in ten said they had trouble understanding complex medical jargon.

Instead, many turned to social media sites for answers.

Gen Z were the most likely to do so, with 33 percent admitting they turned to TikTok first, then Instagram and Twitter for help.

When visiting a doctor, a quarter said they took the lead by asking to get a prescription from something they saw online.

While nearly one in five applied for treatment, they heard from another patient or a social media influencer.

While older people are most dependent on a visit to their family doctor, 5 percent of those over 60 said they use health information they found on Facebook.

The study, titled “Patient Trendscoping: What You Need to Know About Patients of the Future,” found that people of all ages with chronic illnesses are unlikely to see their doctor as a regular source of information.

For example, the number has risen to nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of people who have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Almost a third (28 percent) of this group said they rely on online influencers for guidance.

Health influencers can gain a huge following by posting about how they can help people with problems.

A survey found that almost half of UK patients were frustrated by not having enough time with doctors and a lack of empathy

Lottie Drynan, who has 256,000 followers on Instagram, has a blog called The Tummy Diaries where she shares her “thoughts and tips” on living with the condition.

She specifically urges her followers to see their family doctor and urges them “not to give up until you have answers.”

But experts have long warned that for-profit social media giants use algorithms that attract attention or encourage controversial content rather than reliable or accurate content.

This is particularly dangerous when it comes to medical advice – a problem highlighted by the health conspiracy theories about a drug and the vaccine circulating during the coronavirus pandemic.

One example is the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin, which has been advertised online as a Covid miracle drug, although scientists have found no evidence of its effectiveness.

Lucy Ireland, senior partner in health at Hall & Partners, said: “As the NHS faces prolonged ambulance delays and strikes which further affect emergency waiting times and access to doctors, this trend is likely to accelerate.

“More digital solutions will be an important element in reconnecting younger patients with traditional sources of health advice.”