The Australian Medical Association says it is okay for clinics to turn down people who complain about their services on social media.

The South Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) made the determination after a family health centre in Port Lincoln said it was constantly being criticised online, for things which it could not control.

Staff at the Boston Bay Family Health Practice say there are clear detrimental effects from people posting harsh reviews and comments on social media pages for the clinic. It does not help any rural health practitioner to be blamed for shortages or a lack of services.

Employees now have AMA backing to turn away serial offenders and extreme insulters.

Dr Kris Bascomb from the centre says it compounds the stresses for staff who are trying to help.

“We’ve got part-time doctors working 45 hours a week - I can do a 100 hour week probably every second or third week without blinking - it's not the way you keep doctors,” she said.

“We’re all trying madly to get more doctors to fill the gaps and then we’re faced with all these negative comments and it’s like, ‘well why are we bothering, why are we all trying to maintain the services in Port Lincoln if this is how people are thinking?’”

Dr Patricia Montanaro, South Australian president of them AMA, says the misplaced intimidation of doctors cannot continue.

“We do often talk to patients if there is a problem, we explain to patients if they have a problem that there's a process to have their grievances aired but very extreme and intrusive behaviour is not acceptable,” she said.

“The doctor-patient relationship is a really important part of treatment and management, so it can be in the best interest of the patient to see a doctor who can take care of their needs and that may be in a different clinic.”

Country doctors are the few who take up the increased challenge of working outside well-resourced areas, and are absolutely the least deserving of needless criticism for factors which are out of their control.

“Instead of people getting upset and posting on Facebook and blaming us for it... go and talk to the MPs, go and talk to the politicians and try and get some work done to actually help us to get some more doctors in town,” Dr Bascomb said.