Disciplinary Procedures
The Acupuncture Society (“the Society”) accepts no liability for the costs of the complainant or the practitioner in any case.
The Disciplinary Committee will investigate the following types of complaint:-
1. Emailed complaints using our Complaints form below, from a client of a registered practising member received within 28 days
2. Substantiated allegations of breach of the Society’s Code of Ethics from any complainant
3. Complaints made to the Society from other Society members
4. Consideration of consensual resolution, without a hearing, of a complaint referred to a Panel by the Case Examiners, where appropriate
Practitioners must immediately report any complaints or criminal convictions made against them to the Society and must also inform the insurance company covering their professional practice.
Disciplinary committee powers
The committee may issue a formal warning to a member practitioner of its intention to investigate a complaint made against him/her and/or may suspend the practitioner from membership of The Acupuncture Society pending an investigation when deemed appropriate.
The Registrar of The Acupuncture Society will remove any practitioner from the membership register who is found to have seriously contravened the Society’s Code of Ethics, Rules and Regulations. All members have a right of appeal to the appeal panel of The Acupuncture Society within 28 days of the date of its decision being advised to the member practitioner complained of.
The Society reserves the right to take any action deemed appropriate by a majority of committee consensus; this may result in temporary or permanent suspension prior to or after an investigation. Further, in a potential criminal case or sexual impropriety complaint. The Society may inform the police for further investigation.
The Appeal Panel consists of 2 Society practitioner members and 1 lay non-practitioner panel member who was not sitting on the disciplinary committee which heard the original complaint made.
The appeal panel’s recommendations are final
Complaint procedures
Complaints must be made in writing and emailed to the disciplinary committee detailing the complainant’s name, address and contact details, the complaint, the practitioner involved, the date/dates, time and location of incident/incidents, documentary and supporting evidence and any witness statements and contact details.
Only complaints about the professional conduct of full practising Acupuncture Society members who, at the time of the complaint, were administering thier registered TCM treatments are within the disciplinary committee’s jurisdiction.
Complaints must relate to an incident or incidents which have taken place within the last 3 months
Practitioners under investigation and complainants must allow the disciplinary committee and the appeals panel access to examine the records of the patient involved in the incident or incidents.
Complaints can only refer to member practitioners whose alleged misconduct occurred during treatments or with clients who had sought treatment within their professional capacity as TCM practitioners.
Records of disciplinary committee cases will be retained by the committee in case there are future breaches.
Any complaints received by members of The Society must be immediately reported to the complaints committee.
Complaints must have sufficient grounds and substantiated evidence, and be within the jurisdiction of the Disciplinary Committee; where this is in doubt, further questions may be sent to the complainant. The complainant will be informed in writing or by email as to whether the committee considers the complaint sufficient to warrant further investigation without undue delay following receipt of the written complaint
If the complaint is substantiated, the practitioner and the complainant will be informed in writing or by email without undue delay following the decision.
The Society will react promptly to any substantiated complaint made against its members and form a committee of suitably qualified members without undue delay after deciding that the complaint has merit.
The disciplinary committee will ensure that both parties have copies of submitted evidence and will consider oral and written evidence. The committee reserves the right to consider any new evidence that has arisen since the onset of the committee’s enquiries, but fresh evidence cannot be submitted after three months from the date of the original Committee’s decision.
Practitioners found to be in breach of the Society’s Code of Ethics shall be informed in writing or by email, without undue delay, of the Committee’s findings and recommendations.
The complainant and the practitioner can each assign one person deemed relevant by the Committee to support thier.
Appeal criteria require evidence showing that the original Disciplinary Committee recommendations were made in error or that vital information was withheld.
If the Disciplinary Committee determines that a claim lacks sufficient evidence to proceed to a hearing, its decision is final and binding and cannot be appealed.
If an ongoing police investigation involves either the complainant or the member under review, the Disciplinary Committee reserves the right to defer any internal action until the outcome of that investigation is determined.
Confidentiality of Disciplinary Proceedings and Findings
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Strict Internal Confidentiality: All records, investigation reports, committee deliberations, findings, and outcomes arising from disciplinary proceedings shall remain strictly confidential.
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Data Protection & Privacy (GDPR): Disciplinary records, investigation findings, and personal allegations constitute confidential personal data. Publicly releasing, discussing, or disclosing any details of an internal case—whether concerning the complainant, the respondent member, or any witnesses—is strictly prohibited and may violate data protection legislation, exposing the organisation and individuals to legal liability.
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Duty of Trust and Confidence: The organisation maintains a legal duty of trust and confidence regarding the private matters of all members and participants. Publicly disclosing findings or unproven allegations can unfairly damage reputations—particularly where complaints are unproven, vexatious, or involve sensitive personal circumstances such as health or mental health issues.
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Restricted Disclosure: Information regarding proceedings will only be shared on a strict, need-to-know basis with authorised personnel, advisors, or statutory bodies as required by law. Participants are bound by this requirement of confidentiality and must not share details of the case publicly or on social media.
Appeals
Appeals can be made to the Society Registrar within 28 days of the date of the original Disciplinary Committee’s report.
The Appeal must be made in writing and by email and must contain all information relating to the new evidence supporting their appeal.
The Society Registrar will determine whether the appeal meets the required criteria, and their decision shall be final. The decision on whether the appeal will proceed shall be sent in writing or by email to all parties without undue delay.
The Appeal Panel will inform the complainant and the practitioner of the time, date, and venue for the appeal hearing. Appeals may also be conducted via email. All parties will receive copies of any new written evidence, or details of any other evidence to be considered.
Both parties are permitted to assign one representative who will support their case. No other participants will be allowed other than witnesses to the incident complained of.
The Appeal Committee shall review the complaint in light of the written evidence provided and shall communicate its final findings to the complainant and the practitioner without undue delay.
Acupuncture Society Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Commitment Statement
The Acupuncture Society is committed to equal opportunities in our Company Director appointments, staff employment, practitioner registration and delivery of our Organisational activities.
We will seek to prevent discrimination against any potential Company Directors, Committee members, staff and members on the grounds of:
The Acupuncture Society will: provide training and guidance for Directors, staff, committees and employees, to ensure that they discharge their responsibilities appropriately according to the law and Acupuncture Society policy and that they will be compliant with employment procedures and practices to promote equality of opportunity and eliminate discrimination, and will identify possible areas requiring action.
Any discrimination committed by committees, board members or staff will result in appropriate disciplinary action or dismissal.
Any complaints about discriminatory action by members will be referred to our Complaints Committee and dealt with under our complaints procedures. This will involve the collection of relevant information which will be used and retained confidentially, to initiate any relevant disciplinary action.
This Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policy is designed to prevent discrimination, harassment, and victimisation across protected demographic strands. Operational procedures regarding personal medical matters, including individual mental health accommodations and health-related absences, are managed through our dedicated Human Resources and occupational health procedures rather than this policy