Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s UK Conference of Chinese Medicine 2024. The weekend event offered a chance to come together, to connect in person and to learn from inspirational and insightful speakers. We had the pleasure of hearing from 18 different speakers and want to thank all our speakers and guests who travelled from all over the globe to join us.
Sandra Hill – Keynote speaker
The conference opened with a keynote speech from Sandra Hill, a renowned and beloved author and editor with deep knowledge of the classics. She gave a wonderful presentation on the conference theme of Yì (意) which enabled attendees to connect to the deeper meaning and significance of the term.
This was followed by a roundtable discussion with representatives from the leading bodies in Chinese medicine in the UK and across Europe. Hosted by BAcC CEO, Alex Jacobs MBAcC MRCHM, the roundtable featured BAcC governing board chair, Pia Huber MBAcC, RCHM president, Martin John MRCHM, ATCM president, Mei Xing MATCM MBAcC and ETCMA executive board member, Adrianne Waldt. The panel members were effusive about their optimism for the possibilities that could arise from greater collaboration which is only made possible by the efforts made to uphold high standards.
Saturday 29 June – a day of fertility, research and Chinese herbal medicine
Fertility and gynaecology played a big role in this years conference. Our international speaker this year was President of the Austrian Society for Classical Acupuncture (OGKA) and acclaimed author, Dr Olivia Pojer, who gave a popular and engaging talk on treating male fertility with acupuncture and herbs. Lily Lai PhD MRCHM then gave an evidence-informed presentation on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Our final fertility talk of the day was given by Mei Xing MATCM MBAcC, who gave shared an in-depth overview of treating infertility through a TCM lens. The day finished with a roundtable discussion between all three speakers, our delegates and chaired by Ian Appleyard MBAcC.
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- Olivia Pojer
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- Lily Lai
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- Mei Xing
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- Fertility Panel
The North Atrium of Manchester Business School was jam-packed with sessions to suit everyone including Sia Wang’s practical explanation of six qi acupuncture. Plus, Julie Reynolds MBAcC shared her insights on polypharmacy as a miscellaneous cause of disease within a five element context while Sarah Price PhD MRCHM divulged her secrets of success treating chronic inflammatory disease. Charlie Buck FBAcC FRCHM gave us a deep dive into the significance of Yi-intention within diagnosis. In order to support those starting out in practice or those wanting a little helping hand to try news things, BAcC Safe Practice Manager, Hannah Bowie-Carlin MBAcC, alongside Josh Barrow MBAcC, Sandra Hart-Hunt MBAcC and Joe Jennings MBAcC shared their key lessons on how they have found success in clinical practice.
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- Sia Wang
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- Julie Reynolds
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- Sarah Price
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- Charlie Buck
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- L-R: Joe Jennings, Sandra Hart-Hunt. Josh Barrow, Hannah Bowie-Carlin
Intention was at the forefront of everyone’s mind during Rev Deb Connor MBAcC’s practical session on exploring creativity to empower clinical practice.
Alex, Charlie, Sia and Peter Deadman FBAcC gathered to host the second roundtable of the day, discussing what Yi-intention really means in clinical practice and how it can lead to tangible results. The discussion was opened to the audience and president of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, Dr Federico Campos, made a fascinating point, highlighting research showing that practitioner-delivered acupuncture resulted in better outcomes than self-administered acupuncture – perhaps quantifying the effects of the Yi-intention of the practitioner.
UKCCM24 Celebration Evening 2024 – what a night!
‘Yanghe Dream Blue’ Chinese rice wine
After a packed programme of talks, sessions and shopping it was time to get our glad rags on and head to our first ever Celebration Evening, featuring a cabaret, three course meal and disco hosted by Alex Jacobs, Hannah Bowie-Carlin and Peter Deadman. Celebration dinner sponsor, Shizhen Ltd, put on a fantastic array of cocktails, made with their ‘Yanghe Dream Blue’ Chinese rice wine, a bottle of which had also been placed on every dinner table. It was great to see members coming together and enjoying each other’s company in person; an increasingly rare occurrence in this online era.
The evening was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate some very notable contributors to our BAcC community. Up first was an award ceremony announcing the new BAcC Fellows, and then a thank you to the four Governing Board Members who will be ending their terms in September.
Sunday 30 June – shopping, yangsheng, and NHS integration
Another focus at the conference this year was NHS integration and the incredible success story of the Inner Gloucester acupuncture project within a primary care network, implemented by Fleur Clackson MBAcC, Jennie Heckford MBAcC and Wendy Williams MBAcC and supported by Ian Appleyard. The session was flanked by two invaluable sessions by BAcC Members making huge waves in integrated oncology: Mandy Brass and Beverley De Valois FBAcC. Joe Jennings MBAcC shared his own ventures into NHS integration in the multi-bed arena resulting in a thought-provoking discussion among his audience.
Up next were the much anticipated Yangsheng sessions. Frequent collaborators, Danny Blyth MBAcC MRCHM and Alex Jacobs BAcC CEO both made presentations on Chinese dietary therapy and how it connects to herbal medicine logic and thinking. Both sessions gave very practical advice on how to treat conditions regularly seen in the clinic. At the end of the day, a roundtable was hosted by Alex Jacobs, along with Kim Mendez MBAcC MRCHM and James Woodward MBAcC to discuss how we can come together to better support our patients with self-help advice.
Thank you to all of our guests, supporters, sponsors and of course, BAcC Members who helped us make it a truly celebratory weekend. We hope to see you all again next year!
We also had a great array of sponsors and supporters this year, without whom the event would not have been possible. Our exhibition hall was full of wonderful companies who were on hand to support our members with their business and practice needs. It was lovely to mingle in person, win prizes, shop and have books signed by some brilliant authors also attending the event.
We hope you enjoy some highlights from this year’s event.
The spirit of collaboration continues as UK Conference of Chinese Medicine 2025 has now been confirmed! The BAcC and RCHM look forward to welcoming you all on the 7 -8 June at Kents Hill Park in Milton Keynes. Look out for further announcements in the autumn. See you all there next year.
BAcC team
July 2024
