Kubhanga kwa Makanda · Kimbundu

China’s New National Standard for Social Companionship in Medical Care: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

A new Chinese national standard, GB/T 47801—2026, sets basic requirements for social companionship in medical care, effective November 1. This article explains the framework for foreign founders considering this service sector in China.

China’s New National Standard for Social Companionship in Medical Care

Foreign founders exploring service-sector opportunities in China should note a new national standard that will shape the emerging medical companionship industry. The standard, GB/T 47801—2026, titled “Social Companionship in Medical Care — Basic Requirements,” was approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation and will take effect on November 1. It establishes a service framework covering providers, service content, and service processes.

The standard responds to a growing need: elderly patients who struggle to navigate large hospitals alone, and out-of-town patients unfamiliar with local facilities. The companionship industry has grown to address these pain points, but without service standards, it has faced issues such as blurred boundaries and inconsistent quality. The new standard aims to bring clarity and ensure that services are both protected and kept within proper limits.

Who Can Provide Social Companionship Services?

Under the new standard, the provider of social companionship services must be an institution. The institution’s companionship personnel (often called “medical companions”) directly serve clients. Clients are individuals who face difficulties in seeking medical care due to mobility, cognitive, or regional differences, or those who seek a better healthcare experience. Institutions may earn revenue by providing these services.

Medical companions are required to possess basic companionship knowledge and professional conduct. Deng Yong, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Law Department of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, suggests that companions should understand medical procedures, basic medical terminology, and emergency常识; be able to accurately relay patients’ conditions; strictly comply with regulations, including refusing to scalp appointment slots or promote drugs; and demonstrate patience and empathy to comfort patients.

What Services Can Be Provided?

With the consent of the client or their legal guardian, a medical companion may perform the following tasks:

• Queue to obtain appointment numbers; schedule examinations and help with preparation for examinations.
• Purchase or collect basic medical supplies such as wheelchairs, escort beds, and disposable masks.
• Guide clients to designated areas, such as consultation rooms, examination rooms, or treatment areas.
• Assist with delivering test samples, collecting medications and test results, recording medical advice, and collecting or copying medical documents such as medical records and diagnostic certificates.
• Handle admission and discharge procedures, make payments, and provide daily living assistance during medical visits, such as booking transportation, ordering meals, and temporarily storing belongings.
• Offer emotional support during medical visits.

What Is Prohibited?

Medical companions are not healthcare professionals. They are explicitly prohibited from:

• Interpreting test results.
• Participating in medical procedures.
• Providing medical advice.
• Adjusting medication regimens for clients.
• Choosing or consenting to treatment plans on behalf of clients or their families.
• Concealing, altering, or selectively conveying critical medical information about clients.
• Signing legally binding medical documents for clients.

Ensuring Service Quality and Compliance

Deng Yong recommends that hospitals strengthen management of medical companions by exploring a mechanism of “admission registration, behavior control, and public supervision.” This includes:

• Establishing a unified admission channel for companions, verifying identity and criminal records, and issuing temporary access passes.
• Requiring third-party institutions and individuals to register, and explicitly prohibiting soliciting business in consultation rooms or registration areas.
• Publicly displaying a list of legitimate companions and complaint hotlines in outpatient halls.

Additionally, hospitals should collaborate with industry associations to provide pre-job training and award service badges recognized by the hospital to those who pass assessments. Relevant authorities should also strengthen oversight and explore joint enforcement mechanisms involving market regulation, public security, and health departments to investigate and punish illegal activities such as price fraud and unlicensed operation.

Implications for Foreign Founders

For foreign entrepreneurs considering entering China’s medical companionship sector, the new standard provides a clear regulatory framework. It defines the scope of services, sets boundaries to prevent overreach, and emphasizes institutional responsibility. Foreign founders should ensure their business models align with these requirements, particularly the restriction that providers must be institutions and that companions cannot perform medical tasks. Compliance with the standard will be essential for operating legally and building trust with clients and hospitals.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

For assistance with registering and operating a company in China, foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.