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Statutory regulation

The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) was formed in 1995 and since those early days we have worked hard to raise political awareness for the acupuncture profession, planning, negotiating and implementing strategies for effective regulation.


For the last ten years the BAcC has been at the forefront of discussions about the statutory regulation of acupuncture. In 1999 the creation of the Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group (ARWG) moved statutory regulation to centre stage. We played a major role in this and other working and steering groups that have been convened since. All have considered how best to regulate acupuncture and herbal medicine, and their various reports have recommended regulation as an urgent priority.

After the ARWG had completed its work on the first national consultation the BAcC went on to promote the creation of the Acupuncture Stakeholder Group. This voluntary forum embraces almost all users of acupuncture in the UK and is developing a powerful voice for the common aspects of all acupuncture practice. The group works to inform and guide future Department of Health consultations on acupuncture regulation.

The BAcC has also contributed to various high-level discussions on a range of healthcare issues with the governments and health departments of the four home countries. The BAcC is widely recognised as a good example of effective voluntary self-regulation and our views are sought and respected alongside those of statutory bodies representing other complementary therapies.

The move towards the regulation of acupuncture is driven by concerns over safety and public accountability. Such concerns have also provided the focus for a much larger Department of Health consultation entitled Extending Professional Regulation. This more recent consultation examines emerging healthcare roles and the regulation of auxiliary healthcare staff. The resulting report was published on 16 July 2009 and once again the statutory regulation of acupuncture and herbal medicine has been included for discussion.