Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to hold the British Acupuncture Council to account for (a) injuries and (b) illnesses from acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncturists are not statutorily regulated in the United Kingdom. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions and which sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.

The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) holds a register of acupuncturists, which is accredited by the PSA. To gain accreditation from the PSA, organisations must meet its nine Standards for Accredited Registers. These standards require organisations: to have a focus on public protection; to have processes for handling complaints against practitioners; to set appropriate levels of education and training for entry to the register; to require registrants to undertake continuing professional development; and to understand and monitor the risks associated with the practices of registrants.

The BAcC is an independent, representative body and as such, does not fall under Government oversight. Therefore, any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions it represents are a matter for the organisation and its members.

The Government would encourage anyone accessing acupuncture services to establish whether their practitioner is registered with a voluntary register accredited by the PSA, such as that held by the BAcC.