-Full: practitioners successfully qualifying from a training institution accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) are automatically eligible for full membership. Such courses are currently three years full-time or the part-time equivalent and study includes biomedical science appropriate to the practice of acupuncture. Courses also include a substantial clinical component. Other practitioners must satisfy the BAcC Admissions Committee, through written application and interview, that they have a level of training and competence equivalent to recent graduates of BAAB accredited colleges.
-Provisional: may be offered to applicants where additional skills or training are required before they are eligible for full membership.
-Non-practising: practitioner members who temporarily cease practising but who want to receive all the usual mailings.
-Overseas: practitioner members based outside the UK.
-Student affiliate: a free web-based facility only open to students of BAAB accredited institutions. Students can register, download materials, take part in forums and access practical advice on being an acupuncturist.
Membership fee
-Full: £580 -Provisional: dependent on training requirements -Non-practising: £50.00 -Overseas: £75.00 -Student affiliates: no fee (All figures are for 2006)
Required continuing education
30 hours continuing professional development per year recommended; currently not mandatory
Requirements for continuing membership
-Completion of annual renewal form, sent to all members. -Agreement to abide by BAcC Codes of Safe Practice, Professional Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures. -Full Medical Malpractice & Public/Products Liability insurance cover (included in membership subscription fee for most members).
It is estimated that there are somewhere between 10,000-12,000 people currently practising some form of acupuncture in the UK. Of this number about 4,000 practise traditional acupuncture, either as acupuncturists or TCM practitioners. There are around 4,500 physiotherapists and 2,500 medical doctors, who predominantly practise western medical acupuncture as an adjunct to their primary therapy. There are also several hundred practitioners who practise auricular acupuncture, usually as part of a detoxification programme.
At present there is no government legislation in the UK covering the practice of acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine and anyone can provide acupuncture or herbal medicine regardless of whether they have undergone adequate training.
The BAcC is one of the professional bodies currently in consultation with the UK government regarding the future statutory regulation of acupuncture. It is expected that some form of regulation will be in place within the next three years for both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Insurance reimbursement
Most people who choose to have acupuncture consult independent practitioners and pay for their treatment privately. There are some health insurance plans that will reimburse the cost of such treatment, however many will only cover the cost of treatment provided by practitioners who also have western medical qualifications (medical doctors, physiotherapists etc).
There is very limited state funding of acupuncture in the UK. Acupuncture treatment within the UK's national health service (NHS) is rare and is usually given by medical doctors, physiotherapists etc as an adjunct to western medical treatment.
Members 
