NMC’s New Advertising Rules: What Doctors and Hospitals Can Still Post

This concerns every doctor and hospital posting content online. On 6 October 2026, the National Medical Commission put out a public notice on ethical advertising and public communication. It came into force the same day. No grace period mentioned.

If you run a hospital, a clinic, or you’re the person who handles their Instagram, this one’s for you. And if that “person” is an agency (that’s us), well, it’s for us too.

Here’s the short version before we get into it: educate, inform, don’t sell. Everything below is just that idea, unpacked.

(A quick note before we go into it. We’ve read the notice and put it in plain language. It’s a summary, not legal advice. For anything high-stakes, talk to your lawyer.)

So, who do these rules actually apply to?

Three groups feel this, in slightly different ways.

• Doctors (Registered Medical Practitioners). Bound directly. Your State Medical Council enforces it.
• Hospitals and clinics. Same standards, but enforced through your state’s Clinical Establishments law. If the two ever clash, the state law wins.
• Agencies and influencers. Not penalised directly under the notice. But here’s the catch: the notice says hiring a third party doesn’t remove the doctor’s or hospital’s responsibility for content they authorised or knowingly allowed.

So what counts as an advertisement? Pretty much anything promotional. Social posts, paid ads, influencer content, search ads, websites, WhatsApp broadcasts, even AI-generated content. If it’s promoting something, it counts.

What you need to stop (for both hospitals and doctors)

We’ve seen a lot of healthcare content over the years, and a lot of it breaks at least one of these.

1. Superlatives. “Best,” “No.1,” “leading,” “most trusted,” “unmatched.” These are out the window unless you can prove them with an objective, independently verifiable method. And any award or ranking you mention needs details: who gave it, when, and on what basis. So as a safe bet, avoid superlatives entirely.
2. Inducements. Discounts, limited-period offers, contests, coupons, cashbacks, free procedures. If it nudges people into unnecessary consultations or tests, it’s solicitation.
3. Guarantees. Promises of cure or outcomes, exaggerated claims, anything unverifiable.
4. Fake engagement. Bought followers, bought likes, planted reviews, manipulated ratings or search rankings. The notice calls this out directly.
5. Patient identifiers. No names, faces, records, or anything that can identify a patient. Even where consent exists, you’re expected to blur faces and marks. And consent never makes a banned format legal (more on that in a second).
6. AI used carelessly. AI-generated promotional campaigns for commercial gain are prohibited. Any AI content that does go out must carry a clear label saying it’s AI. And no AI-made patients, voices, or testimonials. Ever.

Doctors have extra bans on top

Hospitals can’t run fake reviews, guarantees, or unverifiable claims either. But individual doctors get a longer list:

• Patient testimonials
• Celebrity or influencer endorsements
• Before-and-after photos
• Success rates, “painless,” “100%,” “miracle treatment”
• Endorsing products or drugs
• Affiliate links and promo codes

Here’s the first thought after reading it: but the patient signed a consent form. It isn’t okay even with consent. The notice is clear that consent alone doesn’t make a testimonial or a before-and-after post permissible. If the format itself is banned, consent doesn’t rescue it.

The only real exception for case content: research-based communication, where cases have been published in reputed medical journals.

Okay, so what CAN you post?

Plenty, actually. This is the part people panic about, and they shouldn’t.

One more rule worth tattooing on your content checklist: every doctor post should carry the doctor’s name, qualification, and registration number.

Swap, don’t scrap

Here’s what we’d tell any healthcare client: you don’t need to stop posting. You need to rewrite the risky stuff into the safe version. A few examples of how that looks (these are just examples):

Get it? The safe versions aren’t weaker. A myth-vs-fact reel might be more useful to a worried patient than a glossy before and after without context. We’ve noticed educational content tends to hold attention better anyway.

What’s at stake if you get it wrong?

For doctors, the notice sets out a graded ladder. It says action may be contemplated, so it’s not automatic. And a show-cause notice comes first.

1. First violation: warning and mandatory ethics training
2. Second: censure and a monetary penalty
3. Third: suspension of registration, 3 to 6 months
4. Serious violations (misleading cure claims, inducements, mass digital solicitation): suspension of 6 to 12 months
5. Repeated violations: removal from the medical register for 1 to 3 years

There’s also a process on the other side. Doctors can appeal to the EMRB within 60 days, and then a second appeal within another 60 days. Hospitals fall under their state’s Clinical Establishments law instead.

Now think about that. A single reel by an overenthusiastic social media team could land a doctor on that ladder. That’s the expensive mistake here.

Where you should start right now

If you’re staring at two years of old content and wondering where to begin, don’t try to fix everything at once. Work the list from the top:

1. Offers and inducements. Pull offer posts, stories, broadcasts, and anything in the profile bio.
2. Superlatives and cure claims. Rewrite bios, banners, and ad headlines into plain facts.
3. Testimonials and before/after. Clean up old posts, highlights, pinned reels, and the website.
4. Patient consent and blur. Check your consent form and your blurring process.
5. AI-made visuals. Pause AI promotional visuals, and label whatever still runs.

Then handle the quieter stuff: doctor credentials on posts, influencer and agency agreements, and written approvals.

If it helps, here’s a simple 30-day plan:

• Week 1: Audit. Posts, ads, website, profiles, broadcasts.
• Week 2: Clean up. Pause or edit the red items first.
• Week 3: Rebuild. Education-led calendar, a credential line on every doctor post, AI labels.
• Week 4: Lock in. Checklist and written approvals go live.

The 8-point check before any healthcare post goes live

Print it. Stick it next to your desk. We’re serious.

•  Is it factual, with proof on file?
•  Any superlatives or offers?
•  Any cure promises or success rates?
•  Any patient content: is there consent, and is it blurred?
•  Any testimonials, before/after, or endorsements?
•  AI used? Is it allowed, and is it labelled?
•  Doctor shown? Name and registration number added?
•  Approved in writing?

If a post can’t clear all eight, it doesn’t go out. Simple as that.

The bottom line

The NMC isn’t asking healthcare brands to go quiet. It’s asking them to stop selling medicine like it’s a shoe sale. Facts, facilities, credentials and genuine health education are all still on the table. And to be honest, that’s the kind of content patients trust more anyway. 

The rules are live, and the penalties are real. But the fix isn’t complicated. Look at what’s already out there, take out the risky stuff, and build around information instead of persuasion. In simple words: educate, don’t sell.

Based on NMC Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026. This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

Official Source: National Medical Commission (NMC) Public Notice