What types of reviews (including testimonials and endorsements) are allowed?
Reviews are allowed where they are:
Organically provided by patients as a reflection of their experience with the service; and
Unpaid, unsolicited, and not modified by the licensee or authorised person in any way as to compromise the independence and authenticity of the review (this does not preclude the licensee or authorised person from removing offensive comments (e.g. expletives)); and
Not reproduced by the licensee or authorised person, as this avoids the potential for the content of the review to be inappropriately modified in the course of reproduction.
To avoid doubt, licensees and healthcare professionals must not coerce or offer valuable consideration of any kind to induce patients, caregivers or members of the public to provide testimonials and/or endorsements.
Related questions
Why are paid reviews (including testimonials and endorsements) prohibited? Licensees are allowed to pay an authorised person to publish advertisements for the licensable healthcare service. Aren’t paid reviews similar in nature to other forms of advertisements?
Are we allowed to include testimonials or endorsement in our annual reports or programme booklets? These may be distributed to shareholders and/or patients who are not employees.
Are paid reviews allowed if the sponsorship is disclosed upfront?
Are licensees allowed to post pictures of or reviews by celebrities or social media influencers, who are their patients, on their website or social media accounts?
