Medical procedures and services

Helpful information on the advertising rules for medical procedures and services, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

Ads for medical procedures and services should be prepared with a degree of social responsibility and should not trivialise the process of going through any invasive procedures or surgery.

Proven procedures being advertised is fine as long as the procedures are carried out under suitably qualified supervision and advertisers hold evidence in the form of clinical trials, to support efficacy claims.

Certain legislations also need to be taken in to account for ads for some medical services such as The Health and Social Care Act 2008 for the advertisement of Post Conception Advice Services (PCAS) for women.

However, in general, advertisers should be careful not to imply a medical procedure or service can cure someone of a particular ailment or illness if the outcome is not permanent and the effects of surgery can wane or be reversed. They should also avoid implying the procedure or service is suitable for all patients and always successful.

They should also be careful when offering related promotions to their services, especially if they are time-limited promotions. Consumers should always be given a reasonable amount of time to consider all aspects of committing to a surgical procedure and not feel rushed in to a decision because of a competition or money-off offer. When it comes to promotions, we advise advertisers to provide a lengthy cancellation policy and a strict consultation process before the procedure to ensure consumers have time to contemplate if they are making the right choice.

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Latest rulings

Doctor Burgos de la Obra SLP t/a drburgosdelaobra_lipedema
- Upheld in part
- Social media (influencer or affiliate ad)
- 18 October 2023
Ads on Gabriella Lindley’s YouTube, TikTok and Instagram pages were not obviously identifiable as ads.
MEP LLC t/a O2HyperHealth
- Upheld
- Internet (website content), Leaflet
- 27 September 2023
A website and leaflet for hyperbaric oxygen therapy discouraged essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought.
The Fibro Guy Ltd t/a The Fibro Guy
- Upheld
- Internet (website content)
- 09 August 2023
The website for a chronic pain and hypermobility syndrome support and coaching programme claimed that the treatments and techniques they used could treat chronic pain and various health conditions.
Lipstick Gangster Ltd t/a The Lipstick Gangster
- Upheld
- Social media (own site)
- 12 July 2023
A post on a beauty clinic’s Facebook page promoted an unlicensed medicinal product and made misleading and unsubstantiated claims about the efficacy of a treatment.

View all rulings

Medical procedures and services

Helpful information on the advertising rules for medical procedures and services, and examples of previous Advertising Standards Authority rulings in this area.

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Latest rulings

Doctor Burgos de la Obra SLP t/a drburgosdelaobra_lipedema

MEP LLC t/a O2HyperHealth

The Fibro Guy Ltd t/a The Fibro Guy

Lipstick Gangster Ltd t/a The Lipstick Gangster

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Relevant codes

11 Medicines, medical devices, treatments and health

12 Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products