Long-running campaign removes unnecessary barrier for blood donors, a victory for both patients and the blood donation service*
Patients receiving acupuncture from appropriately qualified practitioners will no longer have to wait four months before donating blood, following a significant change to UK blood donation guidance welcomed by the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC)
Until now, patients receiving regular acupuncture could find themselves repeatedly prevented from donating blood, despite being treated by practitioners working to rigorous professional standards using sterile, single-use needles. Acupuncture is a very safe and hygienic treatment when practised by trained professionals and the removal of the unnecessary delay is a welcome development.
Around four million acupuncture treatments are delivered in the UK every year, and many patients attend regular appointments throughout the year. Under the previous rules, many thousands of patients found themselves repeatedly excluded from donating blood. By recognising the high safety standards of professionally qualified acupuncture practitioners, this change opens the door for many more people to donate blood while continuing to receive the care they value.
The Joint Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC), which advises the UK Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services, has confirmed that, in the new rules to be implemented in due course, donors may be accepted following acupuncture when:
- acupuncture has been carried out in premises that are appropriately registered, licensed or approved
- treatment has been provided by a registered or licensed practitioner
The British Acupuncture Council has worked for over 15 years to help bring about this change, providing evidence that acupuncture carried out by professionally regulated practitioners presents an extremely low risk to blood safety.
This work was recognised as far back as 2017 when the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) publicly acknowledged the important role the BAcC plays in upholding standards and protecting patients:
“Many acupuncturists in the UK belong to a professional body such as the British Acupuncture Council but others do not, so it is difficult to find a way to mandate professional standards to ensure that acupuncture is always carried out using single-use needles.” (SaBTO Donor Selection Criteria Report, 2017)
Alex Jacobs, Chief Executive of the British Acupuncture Council, said:
“This is fantastic news for patients, blood donors and public health.
“For many people receiving regular acupuncture, the previous four-month deferral effectively meant they could never become regular blood donors. Removing this unnecessary restriction means people can continue receiving the healthcare they value while also helping to save lives through blood donation.
“This change reflects many years of constructive engagement and demonstrates the importance of high professional standards, rigorous training and strong regulation in protecting the public.”
An acupuncture patient, Martin Williamson from Lancashire, related how the previous rules prevented him from giving blood
‘I was ready to start giving blood, but then I discovered the acupuncture prevented me from doing that. It was a huge disappointment because I couldn’t really see the reason why…I think this change could be a very important one, for now and for the future.’
The British Acupuncture Council believes this decision also reflects the growing recognition of acupuncture as a safe, evidence-informed healthcare profession delivered to high professional standards.
BAcC members meet the standards required by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) Accredited Registers programme and complete a minimum of three years of degree-level training. Earlier this year, the PSA strengthened its Accredited Registers programme, bringing its regulatory standards into closer alignment with those expected of statutory healthcare regulators and further reinforcing public confidence in accredited practitioners.
The BAcC has carried out a nationwide survey of its membership base to gauge reaction to this announcement. The response has been overwhelmingly positive regarding the incoming removal of the “4-month deferral on donating blood”, welcoming the impact this will have on both patients and practitioners. The survey clearly indicates that the deferral period led to treatment disruptions and forced patients to weigh their health needs against their desire to donate blood, resulting in a tangible impact on blood donation among patients
A BAcC member practising in South London commented,
“I lost four regular patients who had been seeing me for years who felt giving blood was more important. Recently a client discovered the ‘wait’ period after wanting to book regular appointments but decided she would stop acupuncture rather than stop giving blood.”
Alex Jacobs adds; “While the BAcC very much welcomes the removal of the deferral period, there remains a need for caution regarding the current definition of a ‘qualified practitioner’ within the JPAC guidance. Equating this title with merely meeting local licensing requirements, which do not cover training standards or professional regulation, introduces unintended risks to public safety. This broad definition diverges from the government-sanctioned mission of the PSA to protect the public”
Moving forward, the BAcC respectfully calls on the Government to fulfil its commitment to public safety by ensuring patients are clearly directed to members of PSA-accredited professional bodies.
Details of how the new procedure will work will be published on Tuesday 11 August on the JPAC website, while implementation dates will be communicated in due course by the four devolved nations. After implementation, patients will be able to give blood without the previous deferral period in a streamlined way.
Angus Wells, Consultant in Donor Medicine for NHS Blood and Transplant, concludes: “We welcome this change that means we can accept donors who have been treated by a wider range of acupuncture practitioners without a deferral period. This means even more people can now give blood and save lives.
“NHS Blood and Transplant works closely with JPAC to continually review donor eligibility to increase the number of people who are able to give blood, while always ensuring patient and donor safety remains a priority.
“Criteria can change so we encourage people to check their eligibility online before donating or call our donor helpline on 0300 123 23 23.”
