NMC glossary · What is allowed
Educational Content: What It Means Under The NMC Rules
Also searched as: Health awareness, Public health education, Health education
Doctors may take part in health awareness, public health campaigns, academic discussion and educational content, provided it does not promote their practice, solicit patients or earn from promotional marketing.
Updated 7 November 2026. Reviewed by Tamojit Lodh, Founder of Medmatis. Built around the NMC's Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics of 6 October 2026. Not legal advice.
Key facts, with sources
Hide the 4 key facts and their sourcesShow the 4 key facts and their sources
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Term | Educational content (also searched as Health awareness, Public health education, Health education) | Medmatis |
| In the notice | Not defined by the notice; this entry explains how the notice uses it. | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026, cl. 5.1, cl. 8.2 (iii), cl. 8.2 (iv), cl. 3.2, Explanation I |
| Applies to | Doctors (RMPs) | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026 |
| In force | From 6 October 2026, with immediate effect. The NMC may issue clarifications and advisories (cl. 12). | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026 |
In plain words
Clause 5.1 is the legitimate lane for health education. A doctor may also deliver lectures or talks on public health and diseases on television, radio and electronic media in their own name and designation, without promoting their employer (cl. 8.2 iii), and give health-education pamphlets to patients visiting the clinic, free of cure guarantees, superiority claims or misleading information (cl. 8.2 iv).
Ordinary information given to the public at large, not promotional and without commercial intent, is not an advertisement at all (cl. 3.2 Expl. I).
What it does not mean
- It does not mean every post labelled “awareness” is safe. A health tip that ends with a call to book at your clinic promotes the practice.
- It does not say how much clinic branding is too much. The tests are whether the content promotes the practice, solicits patients or is monetised through promotional marketing.
An explainer on when to see a doctor for back pain, in the doctor’s own name and designation.
A diabetes awareness post that ends with a package price and a booking button.
Illustrative wording only. It shows the idea and is not a clearance of any page.
The notice’s own words
Quoted from the NMC notice of 6 October 2026. Check the clause number against the original.
cl. 5.1Medical Practitioners may participate in health awareness programmers, public health campaigns, academic discussions, educational content, provided that such activities do not promote personal practice, do not solicit patients and are not monetized through promotional marketing.
cl. 8.2 (iii)Medical Practitioners may deliver lectures or talks on public health and diseases for public awareness through television, radio and electronic media in their own name and designation, without promoting their employer organization.
cl. 8.2 (iv)Medical Practitioners can issue health education and general information pamphlets/ brochures to the patients visiting their clinic/ hospital but these should not contain guarantee of cure or superiority over others or unsubstantiated claims or misleading information.
cl. 3.2, Explanation IThe discourse of information in the normal course of discharge of information to the public at large, without same being promotional and without any intent for commercial benefit shall be exempted from the above definition of "Advertisement".
Our plain-language guide to the whole notice → Check your own text against these rules →
Frequently asked questions
Can a doctor post health tips on social media?
Health awareness and educational content is allowed if it does not promote the doctor’s practice, solicit patients or get monetised through promotional marketing (cl. 5.1). Promotional use of a doctor’s image or voice raises separate issues (cl. 8.1 ii, 9.2).
Can I hand out pamphlets?
Yes, health-education and general-information pamphlets or brochures to patients visiting the clinic are allowed if they contain no guarantee of cure, superiority claims, unsubstantiated claims or misleading information (cl. 8.2 iv).
This entry explains a public notice in plain language and quotes its clause numbers. It is not legal advice. Read the original NMC notice and take advice on your own situation.
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