Uk Blood Supplies Set For A Vital Boost As Donation Rules Are Updated For Acupuncture Patients

This week (11.08.26) Trinity has been working alongside the team at the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) to profile the outcome of the long-running campaign to remove the ‘unnecessary barrier’ for blood donors – hailed as a victory for both patients and the blood donation service!

Here’s the story….

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.

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.

To help amplify the news and to help pull through the  ‘human side’ to the story, the BAcC also carried out a nationwide survey of its membership base to gauge reaction to this announcement.

The response was 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”

Details of how the new procedure were officially 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”