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Acupuncture Accreditation

Statutory regulation ABANDONED for acupuncture

When choosing courses you should realise that there is NO STATUTORY REGULATION of acupuncture and none is envisioned in the near future.  Our course enables you to compete safely  and successfully on equal terms with people who have chosen to do a three year degree course. See information about the latest measures decided in Parliament

The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Andrew Lansley):  16 February 2011
" The practice of acupuncture is not affected by the EU Directive and, therefore, compliance is not required. I am confident that acupuncturists have their own voluntary regulatory measures in place, which are sufficiently robust. Additionally, local authorities in England have powers to regulate the hygiene of the practice of acupuncture, to protect against the risk of transmission of certain infectious diseases."

Acupuncture courses are at present unregulated in the UK. There are several schools to choose from but every prospective student asks if the acupuncture courses are accredited.

Accredited by whom?

All accreditation at present is done by non-statutory, independent bodies such as:

• The British Acupuncture Council BAcC by BAAB ( British Acupuncture accrediation board )
• The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine - ATCM
• The British Medical Acupuncture Association - BMAS
• Acupuncture-Acutherapy Council - AcuC
• Complementary Natural Healthcare Council - CNHC

Each of these bodies sets standards for its own accredited acupuncture courses. Maria Mercati's Bodyharmonics acupuncture courses are accredited by:

• The Acupuncture -Acutherapy Council is a professional register that specialises in promoting well qualified, safe and effective practitioners of Acupuncture and those therapies that focus on acupressure points.
  All member practitioners are qualified, insured and maintain codes of practice so that you can expect high quality, safe professional treatment.
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• Acupuncture-Acutherapy Council (AcuC) is a member of the Acupuncture Stakeholder Group (ASG), working towards Statutory Regulation.

• Microsystems Acupuncture Group
  Acupuncture-Acutherapy Council is a member of the Microsystems Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group (MARWG) .
  Microsystems Acupuncture Regulatory Working Group is designed to co-ordinate, regulate and promote the Microsystems Acupuncture Profession.
  MARWG has now accredited the Microsystems Detox Auricular Acupuncture.
  

• A voluntary self regulatory register was opened in April 2011 under the governance of the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
  Microsystems Practitioners are recognised by the CNHC.
• CNHC set standards to ensure the protection of the public with provision of safe & high quality therapies.
• Bodyharmonics microsystems acupuncture is registered with CNHC.
• The Department of Health recommends that, where CNHC registers the professional discipline in question, you should consult with someone who is CNHC registered.
  
  

Bodyharmonics acupuncture courses which include microsystems acupuncture are examined by an external examiner - Danny Van Laethem who is a principal lecturer in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University in Antwerp. He requires the high standards comparable with those of university students with whom he is involved in Belgium

Holistic Insurance Available

Holistic Insurance Services provide comprehensive insurance for our acupuncture courses, having approved our high standards and unique approach.

Safe acupuncture

Maria Mercati has been running acupuncture courses each year since 1997. We teach all styles of needling using only single use disposable sterile needles. Many of the newer acupuncture courses lack the wealth of learning and experience which under pin our course.