What does affordable acupuncture mean?

Affordable: [adj] that which can be afforded; believed to be within one’s financial means.

In the UK, acupuncture is normally practiced privately, one patient seeing one practitioner for around an hour per treatment, and paying a fee appropriate for a highly-trained professional – currently usually between £30 and £100, depending on the location of the clinic.

Some people can afford this whenever they chose; plenty of people in the UK can afford to pay this once in a while; but lots of people will find it hard to pay this price regularly, and it is vital that a patient can have treatment frequently enough and for long enough to get really better.

So, if one-to-one acupuncture is only affordable for some people, is there a way to provide acupuncture that is affordable for more people in our community? The answer is yes: “multibed” or “community” acupuncture clinics.

How do multibed acupuncture clinics work? By treating several people in a large room together (hence "multibed" clinic), rent overheads are vastly reduced. Acupuncture needles usually take 20 or 30 minutes to do their work, which means that a practitioner can place needles in one patient, leave them to relax into their treatment, and then move on to another patient. By treating more than one patient each hour, a practitioner can reduce the price of each treatment, but still be able to earn a good hourly rate. The vast majority of people get all they need from this style of practice. A good practitioner will let you know if he or she thinks you need one-to-one treatment for whatever reason. Look at the details of the clinics on the Find a clinic page and you will see what comfortable, safe and welcoming spaces multibed acupuncture clinics are.

Avicenna Clinic, Hove

Research shows that patients being treated in multibed clinics report many positive experiences and very few negative. Patients particularly like the "community" feel these clinics create (see Stone, 2006).

What is the charge for acupuncture in a multibed clinic?

Different clinics use slightly different models – they have found out what works best for them and their patients. Many clinics use a sliding scale of charges, so those on low incomes pay less than those on higher incomes, or you pay what you can afford each week. There may be a higher charge for the first appointment as this will often take longer and may be conducted in a private room. You can find more details on the Find a clinic page.

PATIENT INFORMATION: what are the benefits of multibed clinics?

• Multibed clinics reduce the cost of acupuncture treatments as described above. Because the acupuncture is now charged at a more affordable rate, patients are better able to access treatments frequently enough and for long enough to get better and stay better. Likewise, the reduced cost of treatment in multibeds increases the possibility of patients being able to afford treatment two or more times each week, which is optimal for certain conditions (in China a course of treatment will often involve the patient being treated every day or every other day, for 10 treatments; another course of treatment will then be started if necessary).

• An amazing community spirit emerges in multibed acupuncture clinics. Patients consistently report that they like the sense of togetherness and humanity they find there. Overhearing other people talking about difficult, personal issues can feel weird for some people to start with, but soon it has the effect of reminding us all that we aren't the only ones with troubles, that illness can be something that can bring us together rather than isolate us, and that it's ok to be upset and vulnerable in this safe and respectful space.

• Many one-to-one practitioners offer cheaper treatments to patients in need. This is an act of real kindness, but patients often report that they feel uncomfortable knowing that every treatment is a "favour", and will cut deep into the practitioner's income. In multibed clinics patients know they are getting a good deal that works well for practitioners too.

• If acupuncture in the UK is only provided in private, high cost clinics in a one-to-one format, it will only ever be available to a limited section of our community; someone less well off may have to make considerable sacrifices to get the treatment they need. Multibed clinics are offering a new way forward!

PATIENT INFORMATION: are there drawbacks to multibed practice? • It is possible to offer more affordable treatments by treating people together in the same space. Obviously this may impact patients' privacy during treatment. Clinics are well aware of this and take steps to ensure high quality patient care: couches may be separated by screens for privacy and blankets and/or gowns will be used to preserve patients' dignity. It is very rare to have to remove clothes; as the most-frequently used points are on the lower limbs, trousers and sleeves can be rolled up, or a skirt moved to one side, for example. • It is the duty of your practitioner to ensure that you feel well cared for in the shared space. However, different patients have different needs, and the issue of privacy may be more of a concern for some patients than others.

Open Space Acupuncture Clinic, Bushey

• You can talk to your practitioner or the clinic receptionist about how you will be treated before you agree to start your treatment. Many clinics have photos of their treatment rooms on their websites, so you can get an idea of what the space will be like before you visit the clinic. During your treatment, if you feel that you would like more privacy, either to talk about personal issues (most clinics will have some private talking space which you can use at any time) or during your treatment, please let your practitioner know and they will be happy to help.

• For a small number of patients, receiving acupuncture treatment in a space with other people may feel overwhelming or unacceptable. If you are feeling uncomfortable, ask for time to talk this over with your practitioner, and if necessary you can talk about finding a suitable one-to-one practitioner.

PRACTITIONER INFORMATION: what are the benefits of multibed practice for practitioners?

• The only way to get better at acupuncture is with practice - treating several patients per hour provides practitioners with the potential to amass considerable clinical experience, much more quickly than in one-to-one practice.

• Working in the same room as other practitioners means every moment can be full of observation and learning. Everyone picks up and shares effective treatment strategies and new ideas.

• Arguably, there is currently a glut of acupuncture practitioners, meaning one-to-one practitioners often struggle to find patients and competition is strong. Offering treatment in multibed clinics goes some way to release practitioners from the "there-aren't-enough-patients" drama, by massively increasing the potential market, so there really can be enough patients to go round.

• You no longer need to offer low-cost one-to-one treatments with high overheads.

• It is easier to publicise multibeds in your local press, because you have something new and different and appealing to talk about. It may be easier to attract people who haven't tried acupuncture before, because it seems less risky to them if the treatments are easily affordable. Many people would like to use acupuncture, if they think they can afford it.

• Multibed acupuncture clinics represent a successful, socially responsible business model, capable of creating "real wealth" in our community, i.e. providing a living wage for practitioners coupled with access to affordable and high-quality treatments for patients.

• Of all complementary therapies, acupuncture is uniquely suitable for this style of treatment, because needles take time to do their work. Obviously it is not possible to massage several people at once, for example. CAM therapies can really change peoples' lives for the better – as acupuncturists we have the opportunity to take our therapy to a wider section of our community.

• Acupuncture and counseling are different. Some acupuncture practitioners may spend an hour counseling needy or demanding patients (during an acupuncture session): if this is what they want to do, and if they are sufficiently trained to do this safely, that is fine. However, many practitioners find this frustrating or draining; also, some patients prefer quiet time during their treatments. At the Dragon Acupuncture Project in Brighton, for example, experience and research showed that about 95% of patients do not need or want 45 or 60 minutes of one-to-one talking time with a practitioner. It is clear therefore that treatments provided in multibed clinics are in no way inferior or lacking for the vast majority of patients, and are more likely to offer positive additional experiences rather than negative. However, as practitioner dedicated to high quality care, we must support those patients who find that they would prefer to be treated in a one-to-one space, and refer accordingly.

• Working within the NHS may have positive aspects – regular money, lots of patients, etc, but it has its down-sides too – bureaucracy, constraints of working with an institution that does not understand traditional acupuncture, etc. For practitioners who wish to make their treatments more accessible, whilst avoiding the NHS, multibed clinics may be the best way forward.

PRACTITIONER INFORMATION: are there drawbacks to multibed practice?
 
• It is true that you have to treat lots of patients to make this way of treating pay you well, but practitioners in multibed clinics are enjoying good business, even in these challenging times.

• In a busy multibed clinic, you may have to spend lots of time on your feet. If you are busy there might not be many moments to sit down or grab a cup of tea. It is important to book in a good lunch break!

• Keeping several patients on the go at once can take a bit of getting used to.