Articles

Blood Donation Message from the Board of ARA : A landmark agreement, six years in the making The ARA can confirm a significant and long-awaited change to blood donation policy in the UK. JPAC, the Joint Professional Advisory Committee to the UK Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services, has formally agreed to remove the deferral period currently applied to blood

The Acupuncture Regulatory Authority has now completed analysis of its 2025 membership survey, and we are pleased to share the results with you. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute. Your feedback is genuinely valued and plays an important role in helping us understand the needs, experiences, and perspectives of our

When it comes to professional insurance, it pays to know your options, and, more importantly, how to access them. Take Suzie. She shopped around and got a quote from an insurance provider for around £150 for Acupuncture cover for the year. Wanting to compare, she then called Balens directly and found she could get comparable cover for around £142. A

Obtaining valid consent is a fundamental requirement in acupuncture and all healthcare practices. It protects the public, supports professional standards, and underpins safe, ethical treatment. The Acupuncture Regulatory Authority promotes clear, consistent approaches to consent across the profession. The role of consent in safe practice Consent is more than permission. It is a process that ensures individuals really understand and

Blood Donation Message from Chris Davies CEO The current NHS Blood and Transplant position is that anyone who has received acupuncture must wait four months before donating blood. This waiting period was originally introduced to allow sufficient time for any blood-borne viruses to become detectable through post-donation screening. This policy was put in place many years ago following a serious