New Guidance Note on Advertising Health Services

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has developed a Guidance Note for advertising health services. This provides advertisers with information to help them comply with the ASA’s Therapeutic and Health Advertising Code when making claims about their service in advertisements.  The Code, along with the Fair Trading Act 1986 and the Medicines Act 1981, requires advertisers to advertise responsibly and in accordance with the provisions of the Code and relevant legislation. This Guidance Note is applicable to conventional as well as alternative and complementary Health Services.

At the crux of this Guidance Note is the premise that claims in advertisements must be able to be substantiated. Detailed background is provided outlining the substantiation that is likely to be required for therapeutic claims made about a health service in an advertisement.  It also outlines the ASA requirements should an advertiser receive a complaint about misleading claims in their advertising.

Training is available from the ASA’s Education and Development Manager. Contact Claire Hofer to find out more information, including cost.

This Guidance Note is effective from 1 February 2018.