Alongside its rules on photographs and testimonials, the NMC’s ethical advertising guidelines of 6 October 2026 say something specific about AI-generated promotion and spell out how violations will be handled. This brief covers those two parts, based on a Medical Dialogues report from 7 October.
What the report says
The guidelines, issued by the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) and effective immediately, aim to prevent misleading claims and the commercialisation of care, and to regulate digital and AI-generated promotion. Promotional content made with AI must be labelled as AI-generated. The listed prohibitions include guaranteed-cure or superlative claims, before-and-after photos, patient testimonials, referral fees, fake online engagement and identifiable patient data in promotions.
Penalties are graded. A first violation can lead to a warning and ethics training, while repeated violations can lead to removal from the register for one to three years. A show-cause notice is required first, and appeals go to the EMRB within 60 days. For hospitals, the Clinical Establishments Act and applicable state laws take precedence where they conflict with the guidelines.
What this means for your clinic
One check: list every piece of content your clinic published in the last year that was drafted or illustrated with AI tools (social posts, reels, blog images, ad creatives) and confirm whether it carries a clear AI label. Also confirm who in your team approves a post before it goes live, so a show-cause notice never traces back to an unreviewed draft.
This is a news summary, not legal or medical advice. Please read the official guideline text or consult your legal adviser before changing your practice.
Sources: Medical Dialogues, 7 Oct 2026.
