Business advice
The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 requires that all persons that carry out acupuncture and any premises where acupuncture is carried out must be registered with the local authority, unless the person carrying out the acupuncture treatment is a registered medical practitioner or carries out the treatment under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner. In these circumstances the premises will not require registration.
Private acupuncture clinics and clinics offering traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture must also be registered with the local authority.
All premises and operators registered by the local authority must comply with strict local authority byelaws and health and safety legislation. All premises registered will have been or will be inspected to ensure compliance.
There is a registration fee for the premises and for each practitioner. The fee for 2011/12 is £57.50 for each operator and £105 for each premises. The operator and premises registration forms and a copy of the byelaws must be displayed in the premises.
If you practice acupuncture without operator or premises registration you are committing an offence and could be fined up to £200. You could be fined a further £200 for failure to comply with the byelaws.
If you wish to practice acupuncture within the borough of Basingstoke and Deane please click the links below for an application form and a copy of the byelaws.
Customer advice
If you wish to undergo acupuncture you should check that the operator is registered by viewing their registration certificate. Each operator will have a registration certificate with their name and a unique registration number. The operator certificate will also have the name and address of where they operate on it. To see an example of the registration certificate please click here.
The premises used for carrying out the acupuncture treatment will also be registered and will have a registration certificate issued by the local authority. To see an example of the registration certificate please click here.
When going for acupuncture you should check for the following:
• The premises and operator are registered and the certificates and byelaws are on display
• You are asked to complete a pre-treatment questionnaire which includes medical questions
• The treatment is clearly explained to you before you undergo the treatment
• The premises and operator look clean and tidy
• The needles used are sterile and single use – the operator should open the packet in front of you
• The needles are disposed of after use
• The operator washes their hands in soap and hot water and dries them hygienically
• You are provided with verbal and written aftercare advice following your treatment.
If the person carrying out acupuncture does not wear gloves do not be surprised. Due to the size of the needles used in acupuncture it is difficult to handle them with gloves and therefore can cause more damage if gloves are worn. The acupuncture treatment should not cause bleeding and therefore the risk of infection is lower than that of other treatments that use needles. Gloves may be worn if the client or operator has a transmissible skin condition or a blood borne virus or the operator has cuts or lesions on their hands.
If you have concerns prior to your treatment you should discuss them with the operator and if you are not happy do not undergo the treatment.
If you have any concerns regarding cleanliness, general health and safety or the treatment itself please contact the food and safety team on 01256 844844 or ehteam@basingstoke.gov.uk
