The NMC's guidelines dated 6 October 2026 address inducements in medical communication.
What the notice says
Discounts, limited offers, coupons, gifts and free procedures are barred when likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation (cl. 8.1 x).
The notice also permits factual fee disclosure. This distinction matters because describing charges is not the same as using an inducement to encourage unnecessary treatment.
The notice does not establish a universal ban on all packages or every event involving reduced fees. Health camps are not named in it and should not be treated as a settled question.
What it means in practice
Do not assume that changing the wording from "discount" to "package" removes the concern. Consider what is being offered, how it is presented and whether the communication could encourage unnecessary care or solicit patients.
Review promotional messages, social posts, posters, website banners and other communications that mention reduced fees, gifts or free procedures. The channel does not remove the restrictions where the communication promotes medical services (cl. 3.2, 3.5).
A factual fee list is different from an offer designed to encourage a patient to undergo care they may not need. When the distinction is unclear, obtain legal advice before publishing.
What is still allowed?
The notice permits factual, transparent fee disclosure (cl. 8.1 x). It also identifies formal announcements involving publicly declared fees as permitted communication (cl. 8.2 ii; 9.3).
These provisions should not be read as automatic permission for every discount, bundled package or health camp. The specific format and purpose require consideration.
Related reading: NMC advertising guidelines 2026 · Website Development · Social Media Marketing
Source: NMC Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, 6 October 2026. General information, not legal advice. Last checked: 15 October 2026.