As more people seek out complementary and holistic therapies for a range of health issues, acupuncture has become more and more popular in the UK. Working with a range of techniques that are not only based in Chinese Medicine, but also in techniques devised in other countries, acupuncturists in the UK assist patients in achieving better health by balancing the body’s energy, or affecting the body’s nervous system, and treating both physical and emotional problems.
In order to promote healing and restore equilibrium, acupuncture uses tiny needles inserted into predetermined points around the body. Acupuncture provides a relatively non-invasive, natural solution for a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, stress, and infertility.
Education and Training Requirements
Although acupuncture is not specifically governed by any laws in the UK, many acupuncturists nevertheless choose to join organizations such as the Acupuncture Association, (AA) in order to show their professionalism and competence. In the UK, Acupuncturists can train for any length of time up to three or four years, depending on the modality they are training in. This covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of the modality, and clinical practice in their area of expertise.
Many of these programs are accredited by various organisations, which guarantees that they adhere to strict standards. Whilst training, acupuncturists can apply to join organizations such as the AA, which offers insurance, support from other professionals, and a regulated environment, once they are insured they can upgrade their membership and continue to enjoy the benefits that being a registrant of the Acupuncture Regulatory Authority (ARA) provides. Employers sometimes seek out acupuncturists with formal training and professional body registration, even though it’s not legally required. In addition to providing practitioners with a competitive edge, registration with a respectable organization such as ARA, fosters patient trust.
Working Environment and Responsibilities
It is possible for an acupuncturist in the UK to work alongside chiropractors, physiotherapists, and other complementary therapists in multidisciplinary practices, private clinics, or wellness centres, however most do go self-employed (more on that below). Establishing their own private practice, allows an acupuncturist to customize services to meet the needs of individual clients and work around their schedules.
Even though the NHS offers few acupuncture services and many patients receive treatment privately, some people may work there, especially in pain clinics. Evaluating patients’ health and developing individualized treatment regimens are part of an acupuncturist’s daily duties.
Much of an Acupuncturists work is talking to your patients about their symptoms, medical history, and way of life, so discretion is a key requirement. Treating a patient effectively requires a thorough understanding of their body and how the imbalances in body and mind may be affecting their health. Using acupuncture needles, they then target particular points on the body following the initial assessment, with the goal of promoting natural healing and enhancing energy flow.
The duration of a treatment session may vary from fifteen minutes to one and a half hours, depending on the reason for their visit and the type of acupuncture provided and the practitioner may also use Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping, and other complementary therapies as needed.
Skills and Qualities
Acupuncturists who are successful combine clinical expertise with personal attributes. Strong interpersonal skills are essential because the foundation of the patient-practitioner relationship is trust, which is especially important given that many people may be afraid of or unfamiliar with acupuncture. Facilitating patients’ comfort through clear explanations is essential and they may need to provide reassurance and sometimes help them discover what they could be doing at home to help the healing process. Given that the effectiveness of acupuncture depends on precise needle placement, precision and attention to detail are equally crucial. It is imperative for practitioners to remain current with industry advancements and uphold their training, which is why many professional bodies, including AA, require their members to participate in continuing professional development (CPD). AA requires 36 hours of CPD over 3 years.
Challenges and Opportunities
Although acupuncture is becoming more widely recognized as a legitimate therapeutic option in the UK, it is still frequently viewed as an adjunctive therapy rather than a replacement for conventional medical care. This may make it difficult to get a job in some medical companies, or to collaborate with general practitioners. Significant opportunities are presented by the growing demand for treatments that address mental health, infertility, and chronic pain, as well as the growing interest in holistic health.
Acupuncturists in the UK can enjoy a fulfilling career that enables them to truly impact people’s lives, whether they choose to work independently or in clinics. Acupuncturists are increasingly a vital component of the expanding integrative medicine movement because they integrate traditional healing techniques with contemporary medical methods.
Insurance Requirements
There is no legal obligation to get insured, however most membership organisations require it, and it is highly advisable as, if you do have a claim against you, and you aren’t insured, you are on your own, may need to hire a solicitor, go to court, and in the worst case you may have to pay out large sums to the claimant.
We recommend insuring through Balens, as they are very good at what they do. They do all the checks to make sure you are properly qualified and meet their prerequisites before taking any money from you, which some insurance companies don’t do until you actually have a claim, and their affinity scheme gives ARA registrants a great discount on insurance.
Licencing for You and Your Clinic
There are many different licencing regulations at the moment in the UK. Most of which are local authority bylaws. In England the Bylaws are governed by your local authority, (i.e. your local council). Each has its own requirements for compliance, and some may just ask you to send a written statement, some may have a quick visit to check you are clean and secure, and then sign you off, and some may require you to have sinks installed, locked cabinets, notices on the walls, and a host of other things. You will need to check with them first but this is usually easy enough, as they tend to have their requirements on their website under “skin piercing licence”.
London currently has exemption for a licence for Acupuncturists registered with ARA, however you will still need to register with them, so it’s always best to contact them to check their requirements. Birmingham and Nottingham may consider duplicating the London Model, but this is still in the consideration stage at the time of writing this article. (Everyone keep your fingers crossed and wish really hard!)
Wales is currently going through a consultation process, but has already started putting some things into place, the best way to check what they currently require though is to contact your local authority or check here on their website: https://www.gov.wales/special-procedures-acupuncture-electrolysis-piercing-and-tattooing-implementation
Scotland has no exemptions for acupuncture licencing, with nothing in the foreseeable future. So, you would again, have to contact your local authority to check their requirements.
Sole Trader Registration
As soon as you start earning over £1000 a year when trading, HMRC advises you to register as a sole trader. The rule used to be within 3 months, but now the advice is to register at the latest on October 5th of the second tax year for your company. This means that if you suddenly realise that you have made over £1000 between April 2024 and April 2025, you have until 5th October 2025 to register. If you don’t register by this deadline, you might be fined by HMRC, although you should really have spotted this by the end of the tax year in April, and you can then register straight away. This doesn’t affect when you have to report your earnings so it’s only beneficial to do it as soon as you spot it.
The tax year for all sole traders begins on April 6th and ends on April 5th the following calendar year. Registration is really easy, however tax returns each year can be a headache, it’s sound advice to keep records, including business related receipts, as you go along, and then get the advice of an accountant who has experience with small sole trader companies, for at least the first year, so you can understand the process, what you can claim for and what you can’t claim for.
When deciding whether to keep a receipt, we suggest that, if in doubt, keep it. We also suggest to write the purpose of the receipt on the back and keep them all somewhere safe. You can get apps now on your phone that allow you to store your receipts and send them to your accountant if you have one, so it may be worth doing this, but people often don’t trust apps, and use a cash box to store them all in date order so they have a backup.
You can get a really good guide on how to file your tax returns here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-if-youre-self-employed?step-by-step-nav=01ff8dbd-886a-4dbb-872c-d2092b31b2cf
Summary
If all this sounds like a lot of work, it can be, but you quickly get used to it, and the benefits of being a self employed acupuncturist can far outweigh the work it involves.
For instance;
- Imagine deciding that you want a day off because you feel like you need a day, shuffling around your clients and just taking a day without having to put in a request and waiting for an answer.
- Imagine one of your family urgently needs a trip to the doctor, and you can reschedule a couple of clients within 10 minutes to allow it.
- Imagine that you want a holiday, and you want to grab a cancelation and just go, so you book something, then just don’t book clients in the time you will be away.
- Imagine deciding that you want to redecorate your clinic because you prefer a different colour on the walls.
- Imagine wanting some more money that month because you want to go on holiday, so you just extend your hours a bit and get some more clients in.
All this freedom is possible when you work for yourself. However, do take into consideration that you may need to keep some money aside for tax each year, sickness days as you won’t get sick pay (but you don’t often see a sick acupuncturist), and holidays cost more because you don’t get holiday pay, but it is doable because you can put that money aside and plan.
On a personal note, I prefer working for myself, because it gives me the freedom to choose my clients, the freedom to choose my days off, and if I work extra time, I invoice it, so I get paid for all the work I do, not just the work I’m contracted to do in a PAYE job.
Author:
Michelle Bebbington, Wilmslow, Cheshire (MAA rBAF) – ARA Representative of the Acupuncture Association