Practising Acupunture Today: A Postal Questionnaire of Medical Practitioners

Abstract

This article summarises the main findings, as they pertain to physician acupuncturists of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS), of a general survey of British acupuncture practitioners carried out in 1995. The issues covered include: who uses acupuncture in the National Health Service (NHS), and in what settings; how much acupuncture is used in both the NHS and private practice; how much time is spent with patients; and the different ways in which General Practitioners fit acupuncture sessions into their general practice. Brief consideration is also given to conditions treated and style of acupuncture practised. Some possible implications of the findings for the expansion of provision within the NHS are raised.