NMC glossary · Money, offers and third parties
Lead-Generation Fee: What It Means Under The NMC Rules
Also searched as: Pay per lead, Pay per patient, Performance-based pricing
The notice names lead-generation fees among barred considerations, and says agencies, influencers or online platforms must not be engaged on terms where payment is linked to the procurement or referral of individual patients.
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 | Lead-Generation Fee (also searched as Pay per lead, Pay per patient, Performance-based pricing) | Medmatis |
| In the notice | Not defined by the notice; this entry explains how the notice uses it. | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026, cl. 8.1 (vii), cl. 8.1 (viii) |
| Applies to | Doctors (RMPs); agency engagements by doctors | 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
Two clauses meet here. Clause 8.1 (vii) lists a “lead-generation fee” among the considerations connected with referral or procurement of patients that an RMP may not pay or receive. Clause 8.1 (viii) is about how a marketing engagement is structured: payment or consideration must not be linked to procuring or referring individual patients.
The safe direction is a fee that does not rise or fall with individual patients. Medmatis fees are never tied to individual patients, enquiries or referrals; the agency page sets out the commitments we make.
What it does not mean
- It does not discuss pay-per-click or pay-per-lead models by name. The test it sets is whether payment is linked to procuring or referring individual patients; how a specific arrangement measures up is a question for an adviser.
- It does not say “booking fees” are banned. The notice names commission, referral fees and lead-generation fees; “booking fees” are not specifically named.
The notice’s own words
Quoted from the NMC notice of 6 October 2026. Check the clause number against the original.
cl. 8.1 (vii)No RMP shall, directly or indirectly, offer, pay, solicit, receive or participate in any commission, rebate, bonus, gift, gratuity, referral fee, lead-generation fee or other consideration in relation to the promotion or advertisement of medical services, where such consideration is connected with the referral, recommendation or procurement of patients, specimens or materials for diagnosis, treatment, surgery or other medical services.
cl. 8.1 (viii)The engagement of advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, influencers or online platforms shall not be structured in a manner that results in payment or consideration being linked to the procurement or referral of individual patients.
Our plain-language guide to the whole notice → Check your own text against these rules →
Frequently asked questions
Can an agency charge per patient it brings?
The notice says engagement of agencies, influencers or online platforms shall not be structured so that payment is linked to the procurement or referral of individual patients (cl. 8.1 viii).
Is paying for ads the same as paying per lead?
The notice does not discuss ad spend by name. It bars consideration linked to procuring or referring individual patients (cl. 8.1 vii, viii); whether a given ad arrangement does that is for a medical-law adviser to judge.
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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