HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire an acupuncturist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Acupuncture is licensed by the council, differently in each nation. Here is the check for yours, what to ask and what a hygienic treatment looks like.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an acupuncturist in five steps

  1. Check the council registration for your nationCertificate on the wall in England, a lanyard or licence in Wales, the council's licensing team elsewhere.
  2. Tell them about your healthPregnancy, blood thinners, bleeding disorders, pacemaker, fear of needles.
  3. Look for single-use needlesSterile, opened in front of you, disposed of in a sharps bin.
  4. Ask what the first visit costsFirst consultations are longer; courses may be cheaper per visit.
  5. Agree a review pointA few sessions, then decide together whether to continue.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Council registration or licence

England outside London: where the council adopted the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, the acupuncturist and the premises must both be registered. London: the borough's Special Treatments Licence. Wales: a special procedure licence for the acupuncturist, including for dry needling, and an approval certificate for the premises, both on display. Northern Ireland: council registration where Article 13 of the 1985 Order is in force.

Look for the registration certificate or licence on display; in Wales check the national special procedures register; otherwise ask the council's licensing team. gov.uk →

No national register applies

Beyond the council licence, no statutory register applies to acupuncturists, and the title is not protected. A physiotherapist, doctor or other registered professional who uses acupuncture is still regulated by their own register.

If they say they are a physiotherapist or doctor, check the HCPC Register or the medical register as well. hcpc-uk.org →

Insurance

With no register setting the rules, nothing obliges an acupuncturist to hold insurance, so ask. Professional indemnity insurance covers harm from the treatment; public liability covers accidents.

Ask the acupuncturist for the insurer's name and policy dates.

Trader status and cancellation

An acupuncturist in business is a trader, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 duty of reasonable care and skill applies. A course booked online or by phone can usually be cancelled within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013; if you asked for it to start sooner, you pay for what you used.

Read the cancellation terms before booking and keep the confirmation.

VAT

Acupuncture is standard-rated at 20%: acupuncturists have no statutory register of their own, so it is exempt only when a registered health professional, such as an HCPC physiotherapist, gives it within their profession. A clinic over £90,000 must charge VAT and show it as its own line; a practitioner below the threshold charges none.

Ask the acupuncturist whether they are also a registered health professional, and for the VAT number if VAT is added. gov.uk →

“Are you and these premises registered or licensed with the council?”

A good answer: A certificate on display, or in Wales a special procedure licence you can see and look up.

“Do you use sterile single-use needles?”

A good answer: Yes — opened in front of you and disposed of in a sharps container.

“What acupuncture training do you have?”

A good answer: A named qualification; and if they are a physiotherapist or doctor, their register number too.

“Is acupuncture safe with my health?”

A good answer: Questions about pregnancy, blood thinners, bleeding disorders and pacemakers before any needling.

“How many acupuncture sessions do you expect?”

A good answer: An estimate with a review point.

“Are cupping or moxibustion extra?”

A good answer: Priced separately, explained, and only with your agreement.

“What should I expect afterwards?”

A good answer: Possible tiredness or small bruises, and when to call.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends — the acupuncturist you booked or another practitioner at the clinic, employed or subcontracted
  • First consultation and follow-up fees
  • Cupping, moxibustion or herbs priced separately
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% as its own line, unless a registered health professional treats you
  • Course price and refund rule if you stop
  • Cancellation terms
  • Home-visit charge, where offered

Walk away if

  • No council registration certificate or Welsh licence to show
  • Needles not sterile or not single-use
  • No health questions first
  • Advises stopping prescribed medicine
  • Claims to cure serious illness
  • Pressure to buy a long course or herbal products
LOW
£35
TYPICAL
£45
HIGH
£80

What an acupuncturist costs: £35–£80 per session

Acupuncturists charge per session, with a longer first consultation; courses, cupping and herbs change the total. Acupuncturist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Acupuncturists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. ConsultationHealth, symptoms and medicines.
  2. AssessmentTraditional checks or a physical examination.
  3. NeedlingSterile single-use needles placed and left for a short time.
  4. Removal and disposalNeedles into a sharps bin.
  5. AftercareHow you may feel, and when to come back.

Special procedure licence
Wales's compulsory personal licence for acupuncture, including dry needling.
Special Treatments Licence
The London borough licence that covers acupuncture premises.
Dry needling
Needling of muscle trigger points — counted as acupuncture in Wales.
Moxibustion
Warming points with burning herbs; priced separately.
Cupping
Suction cups on the skin.
Sharps bin
A sealed container for used needles.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receipts and notesDates and what was treated.
Watch the needle sitesSmall bruises fade; redness, swelling or heat is a reason to call and see a pharmacist or GP.
Review the courseDecide together whether more sessions make sense.
Rate the visitSay what the acupuncturist did well and what they missed. Unhappy? The make-it-right step comes before the review is published.

STEP 1Write to the acupuncturist firstSay what went wrong, on which date, and what you want done. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 means an acupuncturist trading as a business must use reasonable care and skill; where the treatment fell short, section 54 lets you ask for it to be put right at no cost or for a fair cut in the price.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightWhen a booked acupuncturist gets under four stars, you choose whether they see the problem first, and we follow it up with them. Then you review.
STEP 3The council's licensing teamPoor hygiene, or acupuncture without the council registration or licence your nation requires, goes to the council's licensing team; a general complaint can go to Trading Standards through the consumer helpline for your nation.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsA claim against an acupuncturist for money back can go to court without a solicitor — £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an acupuncturist: questions people ask

They are licensed locally: council registration in England outside London where the 1982 Act was adopted, a special treatment licence in London, a compulsory special procedure licence in Wales, and council registration in Northern Ireland where Article 13 is in force.

Look for the special procedure licence or lanyard, and check the national register kept by Welsh councils.

The physiotherapist must be on the HCPC Register; the local acupuncture rules still apply to the premises and practice.

£35 to £80 a session, typically around £45. First consultations and specialist acupuncture cost more; courses lower the per-visit price. The acupuncturist price guide breaks the range down, and the search above lists acupuncturists near you with their prices.

From a practitioner who is not on a statutory register, yes at 20% if VAT-registered; from a registered health professional for your health, usually not.

Get any infection treated, tell the acupuncturist in writing, and report hygiene problems to the council's licensing team. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 duty of reasonable care and skill applies.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: PhysiotherapistHow to hire: OsteopathHow to hire: ChiropractorHow to hire: ReflexologistHow to hire: Holistic TherapistHow to hire: Sports TherapistHow to hire: Massage TherapistHow to hire: HomeopathAll 701 hiring guides →

Acupuncturists near you

Acupuncturists in LondonAcupuncturists in ManchesterAcupuncturists in BirminghamAcupuncturists in GlasgowAcupuncturists in BelfastAll acupuncturists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales; Special Treatments Licence in London)
  2. Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, Part VIII
  3. London Local Authorities Act 1991, Part II — special treatment licences
  4. gov.wales — licensing scheme for special procedures
  5. Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, Part V
  6. Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Order 2006, article 2
  7. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  8. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  10. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  11. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  12. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 2.5 Services that are not exempt from VAT (taxable at the standard rate)
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register