NMC glossary · Claims and promotion
Ranking Or Award: What It Means Under The NMC Rules
Also searched as: Awards, Rankings, Top lists
Any ranking or award used in advertising must be capable of independent verification. The material conditions, the method, the relevant date and the details of the award-giving organisation must be disclosed where needed to avoid misleading the public.
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 | Ranking or award (also searched as Awards, Rankings, Top lists) | 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 (ix) |
| Applies to | Doctors (RMPs) and hospitals/medical institutions | 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
The proviso to clause 8.1 (ix) is a disclosure rule. If you rely on a ranking or award, someone else must be able to verify it, and the public should not be misled about what it measured, when, or who gave it.
In practice that means stating the awarding body, the year and what the award was for, and being ready to show how it was decided.
What it does not mean
- It does not make an award a licence to say “best”. A comparative claim still has to be verifiable and permissible under clause 8.1 (ix).
- It does not discuss paid or pay-to-enter awards by name. The tests it sets are independent verification and disclosure.
Awarded Excellence in Dental Care 2026 by the named association, for the criteria it publishes.
An unnamed “award-winning clinic” badge with no awarding body or year.
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. 8.1 (ix)No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall make comparative claims such as "best", "No.1", "leading", "most trusted", "top", "number one", "unmatched" or similar superiority claims unless the claim is objectively verifiable, based on a transparent and independently ascertainable methodology and is otherwise permissible under applicable law. Provided, Any ranking or award relied upon in advertising shall be capable of independent verification, and material conditions, methodology and relevant date, details of award giving organization or firm shall be disclosed where necessary to avoid misleading the public.
Our plain-language guide to the whole notice → Check your own text against these rules →
Frequently asked questions
Can I mention an award on my website?
Yes, if the award can be independently verified and you disclose the material conditions, the method, the relevant date and the award-giving organisation where needed to avoid misleading the public (cl. 8.1 ix).
Does an award let me call myself the best?
Not automatically. A superiority claim must itself be objectively verifiable, rest on a transparent and independently ascertainable method and be otherwise permissible (cl. 8.1 ix).
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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