A hospital name in China has two parts in a fixed order: an identifying name, then a generic name. The generic name tells you the kind of institution, for example 医院 (hospital). The identifying name tells you which one it is. The national rules also limit what can go into each part and bar a list of words. This page sets out those rules and does not name, rate or recommend any hospital.
The two parts of a name
The Detailed Rules for Implementing the Regulation on the Administration of Medical Institutions say that the name of a medical institution is made up of an identifying name and a generic name, in that order.
The rules list the generic names. The list is:
| Chinese | Plain English |
|---|---|
| 医院 | hospital |
| 中心卫生院, 卫生院 | central health centre, health centre |
| 疗养院 | sanatorium |
| 妇幼保健院 | maternal and child health hospital |
| 门诊部 | outpatient department |
| 诊所, 卫生所, 卫生站, 卫生室, 医务室, 卫生保健所 | clinic, health post, health station, health room, infirmary, health care office |
| 急救中心, 急救站 | emergency centre, emergency station |
| 临床检验中心 | clinical laboratory centre |
| 防治院, 防治所, 防治站 | disease prevention and treatment hospital, institute, station |
| 护理院, 护理站 | nursing home, nursing station |
| 中心 | centre |
The rules add that other names set or recognised by the national health authority also count as generic names. The English column is a plain translation for readers, not an official rendering.
The identifying name can be drawn from several kinds of word. The rules list place names, unit names, personal names, names of medical disciplines, names of medical specialties, names of clinical departments, and names approved by the approving authority. Several of these can be combined in one identifying name. As a made-up pattern, a name built from a place name, a specialty name and 医院 has an identifying name (the place and the specialty) followed by the generic name 医院.
The principles behind a name
The rules set out these principles for naming a medical institution:
- The generic name is limited to the list of generic names.
- The name must match the reality of the institution.
- The name must fit the institution's category or its clinical departments.
- An institution set up by a local people's government should include an administrative division name in its identifying name, such as a province, city, county, district, subdistrict, township, town or village.
- The identifying name of any other institution must not include an administrative division name.
- An institution set up by a state organ, an enterprise, a public institution, a social group or an individual should include the name of the setting-up unit or the individual in its name.
Words the rules bar
The rules list names that a medical institution may not use:
- names that harm the interests of the state, society or the public
- names that infringe the interests of others
- names made up of foreign-language letters or Chinese pinyin
- names taken from medical instruments, drugs or medical products
- names containing 疑难病 (difficult diseases), 专治 (specialised treatment), 专家 (expert) or 名医 (famous doctor), words of similar meaning, or other names that advertise or imply treatment results
- names that go beyond the registered clinical departments
- names barred by the health administration at provincial level or above
Names that need approval above the local level
Some names go to the national level for approval. The rules name the national health authority, written as 国家卫生计生委 in the text, as the approving body for these names:
- names containing a foreign country or region name or its abbreviation, or the name of an international organisation
- names containing words such as 中国 (China), 全国 (national), 中华 (Chinese nation) or 国家 (state), or the name of a region that spans provinces
- names of institutions set up by local people's governments whose identifying name contains no administrative division name
The rules send traditional Chinese medicine, integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and ethnic medicine institutions to the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine instead.
A name that uses 中心 (centre) as its generic name is approved at provincial level or above. A name with 中心 in its identifying name follows the rule set by the province, and any name containing 中心 must also contain an administrative division name or a place name. Except for institutions that specialise in disease prevention and treatment, an institution may not use the name of a specific disease as its identifying name, unless the provincial health administration approves it for a real need.
Using and keeping a name
A name can be used only after the institution has received its Medical Institution Practising Licence (医疗机构执业许可证), and it carries an exclusive right of use within the approving authority's area. An institution may use only one name. If the approving authority allows two or more, one must be fixed as the first name.
Names cannot be bought, sold or lent. Without the approving authority's permission, a name cannot be transferred. The seals, bank accounts, signboards and medical records of an institution should show the registered name, or the first name where it has more than one.
What counts as a medical institution
The same rules define a medical institution as one that has obtained a Medical Institution Practising Licence under the Regulation and the rules. They sort institutions into categories. The first group is general hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, integrated Chinese and Western medicine hospitals, ethnic medicine hospitals, specialty hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals. Further groups cover maternal and child health institutions, community health service centres and stations, township health centres, sanatoriums, outpatient departments, clinics, emergency centres, clinical laboratory centres, nursing homes and other kinds of institution.
Reading a name in practice
A name tells you how the institution is registered and which words it was allowed to use. It does not tell you the hospital's grade or level, which are separate labels explained in our guide to hospital grades in China. This page does not compare institutions.
What this page did not establish
- The rules were read as republished on the Chinese central government portal. Later changes to them were not checked.
- Provincial naming rules were not collected, so local limits such as the rule for names with 中心 are not covered.
- No hospital's registered name was checked, and no hospital is named as an example.
- English names used by hospitals were not looked at.
Questions people ask
Can a hospital use the words "expert" or "famous doctor" in its name?
No. The rules bar names containing 专家 (expert) or 名医 (famous doctor), words of similar meaning, and other names that advertise or imply treatment results.
Why do some hospital names carry a place name and others do not?
The rules say an institution set up by a local people's government should include an administrative division name in its identifying name. They also say the identifying name of any other institution must not include one. Place names can still serve as identifying names in the other cases the rules list.
Can a hospital have more than one name?
An institution may use one name. If the approving authority allows two or more, one must be fixed as the first name.
Can a hospital sell or lend its name?
No. Names cannot be bought, sold or lent, and a transfer needs the approving authority's permission.
Sources
The source above was read on the date shown. This page is an unofficial summary of general administrative information. It is not published by the body named above, and it is not medical advice. If it differs from the official text, the official text prevails, and rules may change after the check date.