Because acupuncture is not currently regulated by statute in the UK, anyone can describe themselves as an acupuncturist. That is an uncomfortable fact, and it puts the burden of checking on the person booking the appointment.
There are still meaningful signals. A practitioner should be able to tell you where they trained, for how long, and what qualification they hold. They should belong to a professional body, and hold current insurance covering the treatments they offer. They should be willing to answer questions about hygiene, needle handling and what happens if something goes wrong.
Our own view is that this transparency should be volunteered rather than extracted. If a practitioner is evasive about their training or their insurance, that is information in itself.
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What this means in practice
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“Because acupuncture is not currently regulated by statute in the UK, anyone can describe themselves as an acupuncturist.”
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