NMC specifies permitted, prohibited advertising practices for hospitals

New Delhi: While hospitals and medical institutes may circulate factual and objective information regarding their name, location, facilities, etc., such communication should not contain patient solicitation, inducement, comparative superiority claims, or guarantees of cure under the new ethical advertising and public communication guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

Under the Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by hospitals/medical institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners, which were published on 06.10.2026, the Apex Medical Commission has specified which advertising practices may or may not be allowed for hospitals or other clinical establishments.

Advertising by Hospital/Medical Institution:

Chapter III of these guidelines includes responsibilities and ethical communication standards for the registered medical practitioners and hospitals. It includes advertising restrictions and permitted communications for RMPs, exceptions and prohibitions for the doctors, and accepted advertising practices by hospitals or medical institutes.

NMC has specified that a hospital/medical institute will have to adhere to the following ethical advertising and public communication norms:

i. Hospitals/Medical Institutions may disseminate factual, objective and verifiable information concerning their name, location, contact details, departments, facilities, equipment, services, emergency services, accreditation status, charges and other institutional information permitted by applicable law.

ii. Such communication shall not contain patient solicitation, inducement, comparative superiority claims, guarantees of cure or treatment outcome, unverifiable or exaggerated claims, or promotional portrayal of an individual RMP. The form, medium or frequency of communication shall not convert otherwise factual information into solicitation or promotional self-aggrandizement.

iii. Where advertising is permitted under applicable law, the communication shall remain within the scope permitted by such law and these Guidelines.

Further, in Chapter IV, specifying the miscellaneous do's and don'ts for the hospitals and RMPs, NMC has mentioned in the guidelines that "Clinical Establishments may advertise only factual information, where it is limited to objective and verifiable particulars concerning the establishment, including the name of the establishment, contact details, departments functioning, diagnostic facilities, emergency services, accreditation status, other facilities offered and applicable fees. A hospital website containing a directory of its doctors, containing the names, recognised qualifications, specialties, registration details and availability of its doctors, that serves a patient-information function; shall be regarded materially distinct from a paid or promotional advertisement or inducement."

The Commission specified that the use of a photograph/image of an RMP shall not be permitted where such use constitutes self-advertisement, solicitation or promotional publicity. In particular, use of self-photograph or similar publicity material on the letterhead or signboard of a consulting room or clinical establishment shall be governed by Regulations 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, and regarded as unethical conduct.

"All healthcare platforms hosting RMP shall ensure compliance with NMC ethical advertising norms, prohibition of paid ranking of doctors, maintain transparency in listing practices," it further added.

These guidelines include issues like public awareness: public health education, patient privacy, and consent. It specifies prohibited advertising practices for RMP/Clinical Establishments, advertising restrictions and permitted communications for RMPs, exceptions granted to the RMPs from such prohibitions, and also advertising by hospitals and medical institutes.