Achievements 2021

We hope that you have found your BAcC membership to be a valuable support to you during this challenging year, and we look forward to working with you as we develop in the year ahead.

As a member of the BAcC you have exclusive access to a wide range of products and services, and the benefits of membership continue to grow. We cover all your professional needs at every stage of your career, leaving you free to care for your patients.

We are proud to have published the fourth edition of our Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 Guidelines for Practice in the spring, developed in partnership with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine. We supported front-line worker recognition for BAcC members, and have continued to provide regular regional updates to all.

The BAcC strategy 2021-2026 launched in March, and we produced the first membership survey since 2017, to understand your views better and to inform future developments. In April we promoted the important NICE guidelines on chronic pain that recommended acupuncture in place of long-term prescription painkillers.

Our new website and new supporting systems went live in July 2021, providing excellent foundations for future products and services. Through these systems we have delivered various resources for members and, along with our weekly enews, have been able to respond quickly to the external environment and support members through the year. We have also launched our print-on-demand service for Acu. maintaining our connection with you and each other and at the same time reducing our environmental impact.

We have continued to forge relations with key partners and organisations with common goals, as we strive to build professional recognition. We were delighted to hold our annual conference again in 2021 and saw over 200 delegates attend the virtual experience. We also opened passes to access recordings from the event.

These achievements, and so much more, have culminated in a busy and productive year that lays the foundations for an exciting 2022.

The BAcC Strategy 2021-26

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The strategy document sets out our vision, mission, values and key aims and objectives over the next five years and high-level measures of success.

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Our achievements in 2021

  • Professionalism
    • Continued support through COVID-19 pandemic challenges
    • Successfully challenged local authorities on ensuring members were open to practice
    • Lobbied Scottish and Welsh governments on state regulation referral requirements
    • Participated in Scottish public enquiry on the Scottish governments` handling of the COVID-19 response in relation to CAMS.
    • Contributed to government consultation on regulation of health care professionals
    • Gained front-line worker recognition through our PSA accreditation, gaining access to priority vaccinations and boosters
    • Supported members on critical worker status where school closures limited places
    • Provided regional recommendations and updates on practice under COVID-19
    • Continued online COVID-19 update webinars
    • Continued PSA status allowing for GPs to refer patients to BAcC members
    • Gained reaccreditation by the PSA, for the 8th year running
    • Initiated collaboration with AACP and BMAS on developing provision in primary care in light of the new NICE guidelines

  • Support
    • Launched our 4th edition of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 Guidelines for Practice in the spring, in partnership with the RCHM
    • Delivered Chronic Pain campaign, tied to NICE recommendations
    • Delivered our Advertising campaign , supporting the profession to navigate the regulatory requirements here
    • Launched Safe practice event series
      Delivered ICO and data protection advice, and information on website security
    • Adverse event webinar on reporting, processing and avoidance of adverse events
    • Discounted access to the Acu-Track system
    • Discounted access to First Aid at Work courses

  • News
    • Launched the BAcC Strategy 2021-2026
    • Delivered first BAcC membership survey since 2017 to understand member opinion and inform future developments
    • Rebranded Enews, offering weekly supply and personalised for Full member practitioners and Student members
    • Set up the print on demand service for Acu.
    • Delivered interim website and supporting systems to enable long term development
    • Provided regular blogs, articles, classifieds and webinars through our new systems
    • Launched a members’ blog news channel
    • Opened up online classified advertising
    • Offered colleges the chance for students to publicise their research projects to members via our blog feed, which we will start publishing in 2022
    • Welcomed new staff to support members

  • Strength
    • Continued advocacy with organisations that share common goals
    • Started work with other PSA register organisations on promoting PSA accreditation and its value
    • Promoted NICE guidelines recommending acupuncture for chronic pain, and worked with sister organisations to promote this
    • Working with Fibromyalgia charity on benefits of acupuncture for chronic pain
    • Completed research into the formation of an All Parliamentary Party Group to support professional recognition
    • Updated research factsheets to support practice
    • Delivered online ARRC symposium
      Offered funding to support acupuncture activities in the community

  • Community
    • Continued CPD support provision
    • Reintroduced annual conference, hosted on Zoom with 220 members attending across the weekend
      Introduced annual conference recordings passes
    • Delivered numerous online regional events open to all members, no matter their region, increasing accessibility and networking
    • Updated the Mentoring-Supervision register to reflect the online service offered, increasing accessibility
    • Discounted for TCM Kongress Rothenburg
    • Discounted for Integrative Oncology conference
    • Discounted for ICCM Chinese medicine congress
    • Discounted for RCHM conference

Coming in 2022…

  • Acu. online with quarterly print digest
  • Our members’ voice survey
  • New member dashboard
  • Easier to maintain membership online
  • New online shop
  • New Find an Acupuncturist search tool
  • Online statements
  • Membership structure review
  • Monthly safe practice webinars
  • In-person conference, if permitted
    and much more…