# Writing a doctor profile page patients trust > How to write a doctor’s profile page patients can check: the GMC number, protected titles, plain qualifications, a real photo and what to book. Source: https://www.nodsites.com/blog/doctor-profile-page-patients-trust/ Updated: 2026-10-19 Writing How to write a doctor’s profile page patients can check: the GMC number, protected titles, plain qualifications, a real photo and what to book. Nodsites Published 16 October 2026 6 min read A doctor’s profile page answers the questions a patient has before meeting someone new. Is this a registered doctor? Are they the right one for my problem? Where and when can I see them, and will we understand each other? Answer each in plain words, with facts the patient can check, and leave out anything the doctor could not show on request. **Key points** - Give the doctor’s registered name and GMC reference number, linked to their entry on the GMC’s online register. - Use only titles the register supports; the Medical Act 1983 protects “surgeon”, “physician” and “general practitioner”, among others. - Write qualifications out in words, with where and when they were awarded, and keep the evidence for every claim. - Show a real, recent photograph, where the doctor sees patients, the languages they consult in and what can be booked. - A clear profile is what Google’s guidance looks for when it asks who is behind a page. ## Give the registered name and the GMC number Doctors practising medicine in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council and hold a licence to practise; the GMC says that practising without them is illegal, and its register is public. Good medical practice asks a doctor to give their registered name and GMC reference number to any patient who asks; a profile page can give both before anyone has to. The register can be searched by name or by GMC reference number, so put the number beside the name and link it to the doctor’s entry. Use the name exactly as the register records it, or a patient searching for the name they know may not find the doctor. The rest of the profile should agree with the entry. The register shows whether the doctor holds a licence to practise, whether they are registered to work as a GP or a specialist consultant, when they registered, any fitness to practise history since 20 October 2005, and the year and place of their main qualification. ## Use only the titles the law and the register support Section 49 of the Medical Act 1983 makes anyone who wilfully and falsely uses the name or title of physician, doctor of medicine, licentiate in medicine and surgery, bachelor of medicine, surgeon, general practitioner or apothecary, or any name, title or description implying that they are registered under the Act, liable to a fine on summary conviction. The GMC lists the same protected titles. “Consultant” and “specialist” are not on that list, but they are claims about the doctor’s standing, and the GMC asks doctors always to be honest about their experience, qualifications and current role. The GMC also notes that not every doctor working as a specialist consultant has to be on the Specialist Register. If the doctor is on it, say so; if the title rests on something else, such as a consultant post at a named hospital, name it. ## Write qualifications the way patients read them Letters after a name, such as MBBS, MRCP or FRCS, are written for other doctors. Write each qualification out in words with the institution and the year, starting with where and when the doctor qualified in medicine, which a patient will find on the register too. Keep to what is current and relevant to the patient, and write clinical interests in the patient’s words. The CAP Code tells advertisers not to confuse people with unfamiliar scientific words for common conditions, and “knee pain and sports injuries” says more to a reader than the anatomy does. ## Hold the evidence for every claim on the page Good medical practice requires anything a doctor communicates as a medical professional to be accurate and not false or misleading, with reasonable steps taken to check it, nothing relevant deliberately left out, no risk of harm minimised and no opinion presented as established fact. When advertising their services, a doctor must also declare any conflicts of interest and must not exploit people’s vulnerability or lack of medical knowledge. The CAP Code asks the same of advertising. Before a claim that readers are likely to take as objective is published, the advertiser must hold documentary evidence to prove it; years in practice and a number of procedures performed are the kind of claim readers are likely to take that way. For individual treatments, the Code adds that practitioners must have relevant and recognised qualifications. Keep a copy of every certificate and membership the page mentions, and remove any that lapse. ## Show the real doctor, where they work and the languages they speak Use a real, recent photograph of the doctor, one the patient will recognise in the consulting room. Google’s guidance names AI-generated headshots, made-up names and false credentials as deception that makes a page untrustworthy. Never present a stock photograph as the doctor. Name each clinic or hospital where the doctor sees patients, with its address and any fixed days, and say whether remote consultations are offered. List only the languages the doctor consults in; a patient who books because the page says Arabic will expect the consultation in Arabic. ## Say what a patient can book with this doctor End the profile with what the patient can do next: the conditions and treatments the doctor sees patients for, each linked to its own page, the type of appointment, whether a referral or an insurer’s authorisation is needed, and one clear way to book. If the doctor sees adults only, say so here. A [treatment page written in the patient’s own words](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/writing-a-treatment-page-patients-understand/) carries the detail. ## The profile is the author page Google’s guidance describes Google’s guidance on helpful, reliable, people-first content asks whether it is self-evident who wrote a page, and whether content gives background about the author, such as through links to an author page. On a practice website that page is the doctor’s profile, and every treatment page or article the doctor wrote or reviewed can link to it. Google’s name for what these questions look for is E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Of the four, it says trust is the most important. E-E-A-T is not itself a ranking factor, but Google’s systems give more weight to content with strong E-E-A-T on topics that could significantly affect people’s health. A clear, checkable profile is part of [practice copywriting](https://www.nodsites.com/medical-website-design/#practice-copywriting). ## In the UAE and Türkiye a different regulator sets the rules Everything above follows UK rules. In the UAE and Türkiye other regulators apply: the post on [an advertising licence for a UAE clinic website](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/advertising-licence-for-a-uae-clinic-website/) covers MOHAP, the DHA and the DoH, and the post on [a clinic website in Türkiye](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/clinic-website-in-turkiye-one-site-or-two/) covers the Ministry of Health’s regulation on promotion and information in health services. ## Common questions ### Is “Dr” on its own enough? It tells the patient too little. The GMC explains that “Doctor” alone is not a protected title, because it can be an academic qualification such as a PhD. Follow it with the doctor’s role and GMC reference number, and the patient can see which kind of doctor this is and check it. ### Can the profile list memberships and fellowships? It can, while they are current and the practice holds the evidence. Write the body’s full name rather than its initials, and add a few plain words on what the membership means if that is not obvious. ### How often should the profile be checked? Whenever something on it changes, and against the register entry at least once a year. This is part of the practice-focused copywriting work on every website we look after. ## References 1. Medical Act 1983, section 49: Penalty for pretending to be registered. legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives. 1983. Available from: [legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/54/section/49](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/54/section/49) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 2. Unregistered practice is against the law. General Medical Council. Available from: [gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/unregistered-practice](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/unregistered-practice) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 3. What information can you find on our registers? General Medical Council. Available from: [gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/whats-on-our-registers](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/whats-on-our-registers) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 4. How to find a record on our registers. General Medical Council. Available from: [gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/find-a-record-on-our-registers](https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/find-a-record-on-our-registers) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 5. Good medical practice 2024, Domain 4: Trust and professionalism. General Medical Council. 2024. Available from: [gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-medical-practice/domain-4-trust-and-professionalism](https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-medical-practice/domain-4-trust-and-professionalism) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 6. CAP Code, section 3: Misleading advertising. ASA and CAP. Available from: [asa.org.uk/type/non\_broadcast/code\_section/03.html](https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/03.html) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 7. CAP Code, section 12: Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products. ASA and CAP. Available from: [asa.org.uk/type/non\_broadcast/code\_section/12.html](https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/12.html) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. 8. Creating Helpful, Reliable, People-First Content. Google Search Central. 2026. Available from: [developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content) \[cited 2026 Oct 18\]. ## Related posts [All posts](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/) - Writing ### [Writing a treatment page patients understand](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/writing-a-treatment-page-patients-understand/) How to write a treatment page in plain language: who it is for, what happens, recovery, the next step, what to leave out and how to structure it for search. 27 September 2026 6 min read - Search and AI ### [Moving a practice website so Google can follow](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/moving-a-practice-website/) How a practice relaunches or moves its website so Google can follow: old addresses mapped, permanent redirects, Search Console and the weeks after. 19 October 2026 6 min read - Rules ### [Showing your CQC rating on your website](https://www.nodsites.com/blog/showing-your-cqc-rating-on-your-website/) Your CQC rating on your website: what regulation 20A requires, where the rating goes, the 21-day deadline, the CQC widget and the £100 penalty. 18 October 2026 6 min read Ready when you are ## Your website, without the project Tell us about your practice in one short form. 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