British Acupuncture Council

06/10/2026

📱 Helping our members make their voices heard

We’re squeezing in a rather last-minute member session before Acupuncture Awareness Week!

On Thursday 15 October, social media specialist Katie Pigden, Socials superstar at TrinityPR will be joining us for a practical, back-to-basics session on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

We’ll be looking at the new social media assets we’re creating for BAcC members, how they can personalise and share them, and some of the everyday tools that can help them communicate confidently with their patients and local communities.

Because supporting our members isn’t only about what happens in the treatment room – it’s also about helping them share good-quality, trustworthy information about acupuncture with the public.

BAcC members: join us live, bring your questions, or catch up with the recording afterwards.

👉 Find out more and register: acupuncture.org.uk/event/social-media-basics-making-the-most-of-bacc-content/

03/10/2026

Good patient care goes beyond treatment.

There are times in every healthcare profession when difficult conversations and decisions need to be made – including when a therapeutic relationship may need to come to an end.

How those moments are handled matters.

That’s why we’re launching our new Mentoring-Supervision support series, giving BAcC members a space to explore some of the more challenging realities of practice with experienced mentor-supervisors and the BAcC team.

Our first session looks at ending a relationship with a patient – considering not only practitioners’ professional responsibilities, but how these situations can be approached thoughtfully, respectfully and with the wellbeing of everyone involved in mind.

Because supporting practitioners to make thoughtful, informed decisions is part of supporting good patient care.

The session is open to BAcC Members, Student Members and memebrs of the BAcC Mentor-Supervision register.

BAcC members: find out more and book your place via the events section of our website.

Looking for an acupuncturist? BAcC members are degree-level qualified and belong to a Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register.

Find a BAcC member at acupuncture.org.uk

30/09/2026

🎧 It’s International Podcast Day!

Acupuncture is a profession built on learning – and that learning doesn’t stop when you qualify.

The depth of training, curiosity and commitment to developing knowledge that our members bring to their practice is something we’re incredibly proud of. And it’s something you’ll hear throughout our Cultivating Tradition podcast.

Hosted by BAcC CEO Alex Jacobs, the podcast brings together practitioners, teachers, researchers and leading voices from across the Chinese medicine community to explore the knowledge, traditions, research and ideas that continue to shape our profession.

From why the way we study acupuncture matters, to its history, its future and its place in modern healthcare – these are conversations that reflect a profession that takes its learning seriously.

This International Podcast Day, why not delve into the back catalogue and join the conversation? 🎧

👉 Listen to the Cultivating Tradition podcast - https://acupuncture.org.uk/the-cultivating-tradition-podcast/

26/09/2026

If you live in Scotland and you are having acupuncture with a British Acupuncture Council Member you no longer need to wait to give blood. This rule changed in August 2026.
So providing you are in good health then you could be a vital blood donor now. Please help them boost vital blood stores.

09/09/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc_e3wvI5UY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

The same goes for acupuncture. Anyone can call themselves an acupuncturist — the title alone doesn’t tell you what training they’ve completed.
That’s why one quick check matters: look for the PSA Quality Mark, just as Josh recommends. Thank you, Joshua Fletcher, for helping to spread this important message!
Looking for an acupuncturist? Start with the practitioner search on our website. The British Acupuncture Council holds a PSA-accredited register, helping you choose a practitioner with confidence. https://acupuncture.org.uk/find-an-acupuncturist/

07/09/2026

Thousands of hours of study. A lifetime of learning. A community that cares. 💚

BAcC members’ commitment starts long before their first patient: degree-level training, with BAAB-accredited courses covering 3,600 hours of study, including at least 400 hours in a clinical setting.

And it keeps growing. Our members complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) every year, with many going further – driven by curiosity, passion and a desire to be the best practitioners they can be.

We’re proud to support them with over 300 recordings in our new member video library, plus live events and webinars. From clinical skills and research to safe practice, business support and shared experience, there’s something for every stage of their career.

And there’s more to come: our new ‘Landscapes of acupuncture’ series, Mentoring-Supervision webinars and community events to keep members learning, connecting and supporting one another.

High professional standards grow through knowledge, passion and community.

That’s BAcC Membership in Action.

👉 Discover what’s new and what’s next in our latest blog - https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/bacc-events-in-action-part-of-the-bacc-membership-in-action-2026-series/

03/09/2026

🎓 You don’t need to be an acupuncturist to help shape the future of acupuncture education.

What should high-quality education for future healthcare professionals look like? And how do we make sure standards are robust, fair and – importantly – reflect the needs of the people those professionals will ultimately care for?

We’re looking for three people to bring their experience, expertise and perspective to our Education and Accreditation Committees – and two of these opportunities are open to people outside the acupuncture profession.

🔹 Education Committee – BAcC Member
For a current member who would like to bring their professional perspective to acupuncture education, standards and accreditation.

🔹 Accreditation Committee – education professional
For someone with a professional background in education and experience of accreditation activity and/or health.

🔹 Accreditation Committee – patient/service-user representative

This one really could be for anyone with an interest in helping to ensure the patient and public voice is part of how acupuncture education is assessed. You don’t need a background in acupuncture, education or accreditation.

Perhaps one of these sounds like you. Or perhaps you’ve just thought “I know someone who would be brilliant at that.”

We’d love you to apply – or tag and share this with someone who might bring a valuable perspective to the table.

📅 Three meetings per year
💻 Mostly online, with one in-person meeting annually
💷 Remuneration provided
📆 Closing date: 10am, 21 September 2026

👉 Read more about the roles, what we’re looking for and how to apply: https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/join-our-education-and-accreditation-committees/

02/09/2026

👀 Look before you book!

Another great video highlighting one simple check we should all make before choosing a healthcare practitioner or therapist – look for the PSA Quality Mark.

The mark helps you know that the practitioner you’re choosing is on a register independently accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, with standards in place to protect the public.

And that includes acupuncture. 📍

When you choose a British Acupuncture Council Member, you’re choosing an acupuncturist with a minimum of degree-level training, who is committed to high professional standards, safe practice and our codes of professional conduct.

So, whoever you’re putting your health in the hands of, take a moment to look before you book. 👀

To find your local acupuncturist - https://acupuncture.org.uk/find-an-acupuncturist/

02/09/2026

🩸 Great news for acupuncture patients in Scotland!

A huge thank you to Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service - SNBTS for rolling out this change so quickly. 👏

If you’re in Scotland and have had acupuncture with a British Acupuncture Council Member, you can now give blood without the previous four-month wait. 🎉

This is a very recent change to UK blood donation guidance and is currently being rolled out by the individual blood services across the UK.

So, if you’re outside Scotland, please check our latest update for information and contact details for the blood service in your nation before heading off to donate.

🩸 A small rule change that could open the door to many more blood donations – and ultimately help save lives.

👉 Read the latest update: https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/uk-blood-supplies-set-for-a-vital-boost-as-donation-rules-are-updated-for-acupuncture-patients/https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/uk-blood-supplies-set-for-a-vital-boost-as-donation-rules-are-updated-for-acupuncture-patients/

Did you know, blood donation rules around acupuncture have changed today?

If you've had acupuncture through the NHS, from a registered healthcare professional, or from a UK practitioner who meets local licensing requirements, you can usually donate blood straight away.

If your practitioner doesn't fall into one of these categories, you'll need to wait four months before donating.

If you're unsure whether you're eligible to donate, please give our Donor Care Line a call (0345 90 90 999). Our team will be happy to help, and we hope to see you at a donation session soon.

Make an appointment to give blood at scotblood.co.uk

02/09/2026

📣 Advocacy in action

What does it take to create meaningful change for acupuncture in the UK?

From the recent change to blood donation rules, to work on VAT, licensing, private health insurance and greater integration into healthcare – there’s a lot happening behind the scenes.

In the first of our Membership in Action 2026 series, BAcC CEO Alex Jacobs shares where progress is being made, the challenges we’re tackling and where we’re heading next.

Because strengthening the future of acupuncture takes sustained work, collaboration – and sometimes a lot of persistence.

👉 Read Advocacy in Action - https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/bacc-advocacy-in-action-part-of-the-bacc-membership-in-action-2026-series/