This is particularly important as it has been reported recently in the BBC News, that the NHS has raised significant concerns over an estimated 200,000 blood donor shortfall, and has urgently called for more donors to come forward.

Current regulations stipulate that people who have had acupuncture must wait a minimum of four months before they are able to make a blood donation. This is known as the deferral period. This period does not apply if the practitioner is also a member of a statutory regulated body: such as a nurse or a doctor. However, it omits those who belong to bodies with equivalent high standards of safety and hygiene with regulation accredited by the Professional Standards Authority of Health and Social Care such as the British Acupuncture Council.

Many people choose to receive acupuncture from British Acupuncture Council members as their training provides both training and a deep foundation in the tradition of Chinese medicine. We do sincerely hope that changes in blood donation regulations can be made so that we are able to increase the number of blood donations.

For further information, please see the article below: