NMC Advertising Guidelines 2026: Website & Social Media Compliance for Hospitals, Clinics and Doctors

Short answer: On 6 October 2026 the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication for doctors, hospitals, medical institutions and healthcare platforms. They allow factual, verifiable information but prohibit patient solicitation, testimonials, before-and-after photos, superlative or guaranteed claims, discounts used as inducements, fake reviews and commercial AI-generated promotion. Hospital and clinic websites and social media should be reviewed now.

This article summarises the guidelines to help healthcare providers review their digital presence. It is not legal advice; read the official NMC notice and consult your legal or medical-ethics adviser for decisions about your practice.

What did the NMC issue in October 2026?

The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the National Medical Commission published the Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication (Ref. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026), effective immediately. They apply to:

• Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs)
• Hospitals, medical institutions and clinical establishments
• Healthcare platforms that host or list doctors

The guidelines are read together with the NMC Act, 2019 and the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, which prohibit soliciting patients. They define advertising broadly to include websites, social media, messaging apps such as WhatsApp, influencer content, podcasts, online healthcare platforms and AI-generated content with a promotional character.

What hospitals and clinics may publish

• Factual, verifiable information: name, location, contact details, departments, facilities, equipment, emergency services, accreditation and charges
• A doctor directory listing names, recognised qualifications, specialties, registration details and availability, treated as patient information rather than advertising
• Factual announcements, such as starting practice, a change of address, temporary absence or consultation fees
• Public health education and awareness content without guarantees or superiority claims

What is prohibited

• Soliciting patients directly or indirectly, including fear-based marketing
• Superlative or unverifiable claims such as “best doctor”, “No.1 hospital” or “100% success”
• Patient testimonials, endorsements and success stories used for promotion; patient consent does not make them permissible
• Before-and-after photos and surgical result advertising
• Fake or paid reviews and ratings, and asking patients for reviews for promotion
• Fake followers or likes and manipulating search rankings
• Discounts, offers, free procedures or contests used as inducements
• Commissions or agency payments linked to patient referrals
• Doctors endorsing drugs or medical devices
• Commercial AI-generated promotional campaigns and synthetic AI patient or doctor endorsements; permitted AI-assisted content should be marked as AI-generated

Registration numbers and patient privacy

Doctors posting electronically should show their name, qualifications, registration status and State Medical Register (SMR) or National Medical Register (NMR) number, and clinical establishments should show the same details for their RMPs. Identifiable patient information, images and records must not be used in public communication except where the law permits and proper consent is obtained, with reference to the IT Act, 2000 and the DPDP Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025.

Penalties for violations

For doctors, the State Medical Council may take graded action after a show-cause notice: a warning and ethics training for a first violation, censure and a monetary penalty for a second, suspension for 3 to 6 months for a third, 6 to 12 months for serious violations such as misleading cure claims or inducements, and removal from the register for 1 to 3 years for repeated violations. Hospitals are dealt with under the Clinical Establishments Act or applicable state law.

Other laws that also apply

• Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954: restricts advertisements claiming to treat listed conditions
• Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and CCPA guidelines on misleading advertisements
• DPDP Act, 2023: consent and security for patient data collected through forms, WhatsApp and software

NMC compliance checklist for hospital and clinic websites

• Remove superlatives, rankings and guaranteed-outcome language
• Remove patient testimonials, success stories and before-and-after images used for promotion
• Remove or rework offers, discounts and free-consultation promotions
• Build a factual doctor directory with qualifications and SMR/NMR registration numbers
• Keep appointment booking as a service, without pressure tactics such as “limited slots”
• Review Google Business Profile descriptions, posts and review requests
• Check social media bios, reels and ads, including agency and influencer content
• Label AI-assisted content and never use AI-generated patients or doctors
• Add DPDP-compliant consent to enquiry and appointment forms
• Keep a record of reviews and approvals for all published content

How Re-Infotech helps hospitals and clinics comply

We help healthcare providers bring their digital presence in line with the guidelines, working with your management and legal or medical-ethics adviser, who gives final approval.

• Digital compliance audit: a page-by-page review of your website, Google Business Profile, social media and ads against the guidelines, with a prioritised fix list
• Website rewrite and redesign: factual, patient-friendly service pages, a compliant doctor directory with registration details, and clear department and facility information
• Health education content: awareness articles and FAQs that inform patients and support SEO and AI search without solicitation
• Compliant social media management: content calendars, captions and creatives reviewed against the guidelines
• Patient data and DPDP: consent on forms and WhatsApp, secure hosting and access control, and hospital management system features such as audit trails
• Team guidance: simple do’s and don’ts for doctors and staff who post online

Read our guide to the benefits of a Hospital Management System.

Frequently asked questions

What are the new NMC advertising guidelines for doctors?

They are the NMC Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication dated 6 October 2026. They allow factual information about doctors and hospitals but prohibit soliciting patients, testimonials, before-and-after photos, superlative or guaranteed claims, inducements, fake reviews and commercial AI-generated promotion.

Can hospitals and clinics still have a website?

Yes. Hospitals may publish factual, verifiable information such as services, departments, facilities, accreditation, contact details and charges, and a doctor directory with qualifications and registration details. The website should inform patients rather than solicit them.

Are Google reviews and patient testimonials allowed under NMC guidelines?

Fake or paid reviews are prohibited, and doctors may not request or share patient testimonials or reviews for promotional purposes. Patient consent does not make a prohibited testimonial permissible. Review your website, social media and Google profile for promotional use of reviews.

Do doctors need to display their registration number on social media?

Yes. The guidelines state that doctors posting electronically should disclose their name, qualifications, registration status and SMR or NMR registration number, and clinical establishments should do the same for the doctors associated with them.

Can we use AI to create content for our hospital?

AI may help with educational content, but commercial AI-generated promotional campaigns are prohibited, permitted AI content should be marked as AI-generated, and AI must never be used to create synthetic patient or doctor endorsements or alter patient images or outcomes.