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To search by other criteria - name, town - click hereAbout the BAcC
The British Acupuncture Council's Governing Board (GB) is made up of five practitioner members and four lay representatives.
The GB oversees the work of the BAcC and agrees the Council's position regarding negotiations with government and statutory bodies. The Board ensures that the BAcC meets its constitutional responsibilities: maintaining a professional register of members, setting and overseeing professional standards of safe, ethical and competent practice, supporting developments in education and training, and encouraging research into traditional acupuncture.
The GB is helped by a number of subcommittees and advisory groups working on specific areas, including finance, education, professional conduct, and research. Lay representation throughout ensures that the BAcC's processes for developing policies and guidelines are fair, transparent, free from bias, and serve the public interest at all times. Members of all BAcC committees agree to abide by the seven key principles of public office - the Nolan Principles. Please contact us for an up-to-date list of BAcC subcommittees and advisory groups.
At every meeting of the GB each member is required to declare any conflicts of interest. The Board regularly reviews its good governance practice
BAcC Governing Board meeting dates for 2013
Tuesday 12 Feb
Wednesday 12 June
Friday 20 September: BAcC AGM
Thursday 17 October
Suggested dates for 2014, tbc
Tuesday 11 February
Wednesday 11 June
Thursday 16 October
Current practitioner members on the BAcC Governing Board
- Ron Bishop
- Charles Buck (interim chair)
- Dr Ming Cheng
- Deb Connor (co-opted for February and June meetings)
- Norman Savigar
Current lay representatives on the BAcC Governing Board
- David Abrahams
- Charles Cecil
- Lucilla Evers
- Donald Watson
The day-to-day work of the BAcC is carried out in our West London office by a small team, led by Chief Executive Nick Pahl. Many of the staff are qualified acupuncturists who also offer skills in other specialist areas; the rest of the team bring vital knowledge and experience from other fields of business. This wide spread of expertise helps us provide rapid and authoritative responses to members of the public.
The BAcC funds several important initiatives including: the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB), an independent body responsible for setting standards in teaching institutions providing undergraduate training in acupuncture; the Acupuncture Research Resource Centre (ARRC), which provides information, advice and support on research to acupuncturists; the European Journal of Oriental Medicine (EJOM), published twice a year. The BAcC is also a founder member of the European Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (ETCMA).
The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) was passed in order to implement the European Data Protection Directive and applies to all personal data which are held either electronically or in a manual filing system.
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) is committed to a policy of protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals with respect to the processing of their personal data.
The BAcC holds personal information about individuals such as employees, members, applicants, subcontractors, suppliers and others, defined as 'data subjects' in the Act. Such data must only be processed in accordance with this policy. Any breach of the policy may result in the BAcC, as the registered 'data controller', being liable in law for the consequences of the breach. This liability may extend to the individual processing the data, and to his/her line manager under certain circumstances.
Principles
All data users must comply with the eight data protection principles. The principles define how data can be legally processed. 'Processing' includes obtaining, recording, holding or storing information and carrying out any operations on the data, including adaptation, alteration, use, disclosure, transfer, erasure, and destruction.
- Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully.
- Personal data shall be held only for one or more specified and lawful purposes and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or purposes.
- Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which it is processed.
- Personal data shall be accurate and where necessary kept up to date.
- Personal data processed for any purpose shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose.
- Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subject under the DPA.
- Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of the data.
- Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or a territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.
The DPA defines both 'personal data' and 'sensitive personal data'. Data users must ensure that the necessary conditions are satisfied for the processing of personal data and in addition that the extra, more stringent, conditions are satisfied for the processing of sensitive personal data.
Personal data has a broad ranging definition and can include not only items such as home and work address, age, telephone number and schools attended but also photographs and other images. Sensitive personal data consists of racial/ethnic origin, political opinion, religious or similar beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health or condition, sexual life and criminal record.
Responsibilities of data users
All members of BAcC staff, Board members, committee members and subcontractors have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the Act and this policy, and to develop and encourage good information handling practices, within their areas of responsibility. All users of personal data within the BAcC have a responsibility to ensure that they process the data in accordance with the eight data protection principles and the other conditions set down in the DPA.
The BAcC will perform periodic audits to ensure compliance with this policy and the Act and to ensure that the notification is kept up to date.
Designated data controller
The BAcC's HR and facilities manager is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act and implementation of this policy on behalf of the BAcC. She can be contacted at:
British Acupuncture Council
63 Jeddo Road
London W12 9HQ
020 8735 0400
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Access to data
The Act gives data subjects a right to access personal data held about them by the BAcC, and allows the BAcC to charge a fee for such access (up to a prescribed maximum). The BAcC will seek to take an approach which facilitates access to their personal data by individuals without them having to make formal subject access requests under the Act, whilst acting within the data protection principles. A record must be kept of all requests for access to personal data.
All formal subject access requests must be responded to within the terms laid down by the Act, and must be notified to the chief executive and HR and facilities manager as soon as they are received.
The BAcC aims to comply with requests for access to personal information as quickly as possible but will ensure that it is provided within 40 days of receipt of a request unless there is good reason for delay. In such cases, the reason for delay will be explained in writing to the individual making the request. The BAcC will normally charge the prescribed maximum fee (currently £10) for subject access requests.
Subject consent
The need to process data for normal purposes will have been communicated to all data subjects. In some cases, if the data is sensitive, for example information about health, race or gender, express consent to process the data must be obtained. Processing may be necessary to operate BAcC policies, such as health and safety and equal opportunities.
Retention of data
Personal data must only be kept for the length of time necessary to perform the processing for which it was collected. Some forms of data need to be retained longer than others to comply with legal and other requirements. This applies to both electronic and non-electronic personal data.
Data security
All BAcC users of personal data must ensure that all personal data they hold is kept securely. They must ensure that it is not disclosed to any unauthorised third party in any form either accidentally or otherwise.
May 2011
The Register is published by the British Acupuncture Council on an annual basis, and contains the publicly available contact details for BAcC members worldwide.This latest issue was produced in March 2012.
Some members are ex-directory, so if you wish to verify that an acupuncturist is a member of the BAcC, you may also call the British Acupuncture Council on 020 8735 0400
If you are looking for a practitioner near you, use the postcode search at the top of the page.
From 1 December 2012 the BAcC will aim to publish within seven days after a decision, the names of those Members in respect of whom it has investigated allegations and found the allegations to be well founded, together with the section of either the Code of Professional Conduct or Code of Safe Practice of which they were found to be in breach; and the steps (if any) taken by the Committee in respect of the Member so named.
Suspension orders
This section contains details of acupuncturists whose registration has been suspended pending the investigation or the final determination of a complaint. Any practitioner who is subject to a Suspension Order cannot call themselves a BAcC member during the period of suspension.
| Acupuncturists Name | Registration Number | Term of Suspension |
Professional Conduct Committee decisions
This section contains details of acupuncturists who have recently been the subject of a decision by the Professional Conduct Committee and the sanction imposed. The committee has the power to deliver a fine, an admonishment, impose conditions of practice, suspend the acupuncturist's registration for a set period, or permanently remove the acupuncturist's name from the Register.
| Acupuncturists Name | Registration Number | Order/s |
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Information about our cookies
Most websites you visit will use cookies in order to improve your user experience by enabling that website to 'remember' you, either for the duration of your visit - using a 'session cookie' - or for repeat visits - using a 'persistent cookie'.
On the BAcC public website we use a session cookie. The main use for this is in maintaining your result set in 'Find a practitioner' searches
We also use a 'third party cookie' - Google analytics - to help us generate statistics about the site usage. This service is provided by Google Inc.
On the member website we use a session cookie for the forum, and a persistent cookie to enable users to stay logged in.
What is in a cookie?
A cookie is a simple text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website's server and only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information, such as a unique identifier and the site name and some digits and numbers. On the web server we use the unique identifier to map through to information relevant to you, for instance to enable you to return to your search results from a practitioner's details view.
What to do if you don't want cookies to be set
Some people find the idea of a website storing information on their computer or mobile device a bit intrusive, particularly when this information is stored and used by a third party without them knowing. Although this is generally quite harmless, you may not, for example, want to see advertising that has been targeted to your interests. If you prefer, it is possible to block some or all cookies, or even to delete cookies that have already been set; but you need to be aware that you might lose some functions of that website.
If you don't want to receive cookies, you can modify your browser so that it notifies you when cookies are sent to it or you can refuse cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies that have already been set.
If you wish to restrict or block web browser cookies that are set on your device, you can do this through your browser settings; the Help function within your browser should tell you how.
Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of desktop browsers.
- Complain about a practitioner
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What to do if you are unhappy about the service you have received from your practitionerStep 1
Express your concerns to your practitioner or if he/she works in a larger practice, to the practice manager either by phone, by letter, by email or in person.
Step 2
If you remain unhappy you can make a complaint to the British Acupuncture Council by letter, fax or mail marked Private and Confidential. We will need:
- your name and contact details
- the name and address of the member you are complaining about
- details of what happened, when and where
If you find it difficult to make your complaint in writing please let us know and we will help you.
Our contact details:
Step 3
The Ethics Department will check to see if the BAcC can deal with your complaint or concern. The BAcC can only deal with matters which relate to:
- treatment, care or advice given by a BAcC member
- any aspect of the professional or personal behaviour of a BAcC member
- the physical or mental health of a BAcC member
If the BAcC can deal with your complaint the Ethics Department will send you some forms to complete, together with information about complaints.
Please note, the BAcC cannot grant compensation, however all our members are covered by comprehensive professional indemnity insurance, details of which can be obtained from the BAcC or from your practitioner.
- Making a complaint about the BAcC
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Complaints policy and procedure
Policy statement
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) is committed to providing a good quality service in dealing with members of the public, practitioners and other professional organisations. It takes all complaints seriously and sees them as an important tool for continually improving our service.
Introduction
In considering complaints we aim to apply the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's Principles of Good Administration, which are:- getting it right
- being customer focused
- being open and accountable
- acting fairly and proportionately
- putting things right
- seeking continuous improvement
Who can complain?
Anyone who comes into contact with our organisation and who is unhappy or dissatisfied with the service they receive can complain. For example, you may wish to complain about the way we answered your query or correspondence or any delay in getting back to you.
Who do I complain to?
We have a three-stage process for dealing with your complaint. If you remain dissatisfied at any stage, you have the option of taking your complaint to the next stage.
Stage 1
Contact the manager of the member of staff who has been dealing with your matter
Stage 2
Write to the chief executive of the BAcC
Chief Executive Officer
British Acupuncture Council,
63 Jeddo Road,
London W12 9HQemail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
phone 020 8735 1200
fax 020 8735 0404Stage 3
Write to the chair of the BAcC's Governing BoardHow long will it take to deal with my complaint?
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within seven working days and aim to give you a full response within twenty-eight days. On rare occasions this might take longer, if there is a lack of documentary evidence or the matter needs further investigation.
The detailed process for handling a complaint is described in the document which can be downloaded here (pdf).
This site is designed to use features of the newer browsers such as Firefox 2+, Internet Explorer 7+ and Safari 3+
This includes the use of javascript for effects and interactive features. If your browser is does not have javascript turned on, information is presented without the effects, or an alternative format is provided.
Text size
Modern browsers have sophisticated means to zoom in and out of a page, incresing the legibility of text, and indeed some browsers such as safari have a "reader" mode that can strip out extraneous pictures etc to make reading a web page much easier for the visually impaired.
Layout
The css implentation on this site enables the page to be displayed without styling without a resulting loss of information, a feature useful for those who have difficulty reading certain colours. Using a tableless design (tables only contain information) is useful in this instance and for those using text-to-speech software.
Links and page titles are descriptive and relate to the content of the item
Documents where provided on the site are in the accessible PDF format - visit adobe.com for details. Acrobat includes a text to speech mechanism which is particularly useful. Since the site also has the ability to produce a PDF of any page, this text-to-speech feature is readily available to most users.
Site map
This is automatically generated and creates an up-to-date map of the information available on the site.
RSS syndication
The News section features three feeds - "Acupuncture in the news", "Press releases" and "Press statements" which enable you to receive notifications of updates as they happen to these sections.
All reasonable attempts have been made to provide accurate and recent information, but it is not necessarily comprehensive, and information is of a general nature only which is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual.
Self-diagnosis is not recommended and internet-based advice is no substitute for a face-to-face visit with a healthcare practitioner.
Links
Links from this web site are provided for information and convenience only. We cannot accept responsibility for the sites linked to, or the information found there. A link does not imply an endorsement of a site; likewise, not linking to a particular site does not imply lack of endorsement. The British Acupuncture Council is not responsible for, does not endorse or approve and accepts no liability in respect of, any information or opinion contained on any third party site (including, without limitation, any liability arising out of any allegation that the content of any third party site infringes any law or the rights of any person or entity.)
Advertising
Articles, courses, advertisements or other material published on the BAcC website do not necessarily reflect the opinion or carry the endorsement of the British Acupuncture Council. The BAcC reserves the right to refuse advertisements it considers unsuitable. Advertising guidelines are available on request.
Availability
We cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to this website, or the sites to which it links. We accept no responsibility for any damages arising from the loss of use of this information.
General
Whilst the British Acupuncture Council has taken reasonable care in compiling this web site, it is not responsible for any action taken by any person or organisation, wherever they are based, as a result, direct or otherwise, or information contained in or accessed through this web site. The BAcC makes no warranties, representations or undertakings about
(a) any of the content of this web site (including, without limitation, the quality, accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose of such content), or
(b) any content of any other web site referred to or accessed by hypertext link through this web site ('third party site').
You should consult a suitably qualified person on any specific problem or matter which is covered by any information on this site before taking any further action.
Site Policy
This web site has been designed to comply with the European Commission's "eEurope2002: Quality Criteria for Health Related Websites".
Notes
Transparency and Honesty
The purpose of this site is to provide information about the British Acupuncture Council and the practice of acupuncture by its members. The British Acupuncture Council funds this web site and is a non-profit making company limited by guarantee.
Authority
Descriptions of acupuncture practice are as studied in the UK acupuncture colleges and in P.R.China and elsewhere in the orient and are written by fully qualified and licensed acupuncture practitioners.
Privacy
No personal data about an individual using this site will be obtained without their permission. Where any personal information is shown, for example, names and addresses of practitioners, it is displayed only with prior consent. Name and membership number and (optionally) email address will be stored on this site where British Acupuncture Council members and staff have registered their details with the members only area. A log of IP addesses is held in cases of suspected security breaches. No other personal data are held on this site.
Currency
Basic information about the British Acupuncture Council and acupuncture practice is unlikely to change very often and therefore pages will not display a last-modified date. However, modern browsers can provide this information via the 'Properties' or 'Page Info' tabs. Practitioner details represent the latest information received from individual member practitioners, and in some cases may have changed.
Accountability
A full list of contact addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses is available from every page. Users are encouraged to use the contact information to point out any errors or inconsistencies on this web site.
Accessibility
Every effort has been made to make the content of a website accessible to people with disabilities in accordance with the advice of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative. This includes use of properly coded mark-up language (XHTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS).
EU Guidelines on Quality Criteria for Health Related Websites
Transparency and Honesty
* Transparency of provider of site - name, physical address and electronic address of the person or organisation responsible for the site.
* Transparency of purpose and objective of the site.
* Target audience clearly defined (further detail on purpose, multiple audience could be defined at different levels).
* Transparency of sources of funding for site (grants, sponsors, advertisers, non-profit, voluntary assistance).
Authority
* Clear statement of sources for all information provided and date of publication of source.
* Name and credentials of all human/institutional providers of information put up on the site, including dates at which credentials were received.
Privacy
Privacy and data protection policy and system for the processing of personal data, including processing invisible to users, to be clearly defined in accordance with community Data Protection legislation (Directives 95/46/EC and 2002/58/EC)..
Currency
Clear and regular updating of the site, with up-date date clearly displayed for each page and/or item as relevant.
Accountability
*Accountability - user feedback, and appropriate oversight responsibility (such as a key quality compliance officer for each site).
* Responsible partnering - all efforts should be made to ensure that partnering or linking to other websites is undertaken only with trustworthy individuals and organisations who themselves comply with relevant codes of good practice.
* Editorial policy - clear statement describing what procedure was used for selection of content.
Accessibility
Accessibility - attention to guidelines on physical accessibility as well as general findability, searchability, readability, usability, etc.
- every effort should be made to make the content of a website accessible to people with disabilities, including sensory impairments and learning difficulties.
Guidelines for making websites and their content accessible to all users have been developed by the "Web Accessibility Initiative", a working group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) is the leading self-regulatory body for the practice of traditional acupuncture in the UK. We are a member-led organisation, governed by an elected executive committee and driven by a specialist staff team.
We provide our members with a wide range of services to facilitate their practice. We also act for the traditional acupuncture profession as a whole:
- expanding awareness of traditional acupuncture and how it works
- representing the interests of fully qualified traditional acupuncturists
- establishing and maintaining the highest professional standards of practice for acupuncture in the UK
- overseeing and accrediting acupuncture education to ensure excellence in training
- funding evidence-based clinical research on the benefits of traditional acupuncture
- promoting evidence-based research to the public, the media and other healthcare providers
- working with the Department of Health towards the statutory regulation of acupuncture in the UK
- promoting integrated healthcare and contributing to the development of national healthcare policy
