Find an approved practitioner.

We don’t recommend particular practitioners, but to help you find your nearest practitioner, we’ve compiled the following list of websites. Please refer to your individual policy information as the terms and benefit requirements may differ.

Acupuncture

Practitioners are required to be fully accredited members of one of the bodies listed and hold the relevant qualifications to practice acupuncture:

• British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS)
• British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA)
• Member of the British Acupuncture Council
• Acupuncture Regulatory Authority (ARA)
• Complementary Therapists Association (CThA)
• Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (AFPA)
• Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP)
• Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners (FTCMP)
• Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT)
• British Register of Complementary Practitioners (BRCP)
• Acupuncture Society (MAcSAp)
• The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture UK (ATCM)
• Acupuncture-Acutherapy Council (AcuC)
• Association of Acupuncture Clinicians (AAC)

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Acupuncture Council of Ireland

Chiropody

• Health & Care Professions Council

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Podiatrists Registration Board at CORU

Chiropractic

• The General Chiropractic Council

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• The Chiropractic Association of Ireland

Dental

• General Dental Council

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Irish Register of Dentists

Homeopathy

Practitioners are required to be fully accredited members of one of the bodies listed and hold the relevant qualifications to practice homoeopathy:

• The Faculty of Homoeopathy
• The Society of Homoeopaths
• UK Homoeopathic Medical Association (UKHMA)
• Member of the Alliance of Registered Homoeopaths
• British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA)
• Complementary Therapists Association (CThA)
• Member of The Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT)
• British Register of Complementary Practitioners (BRCP)

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Irish Society of Homeopaths (ISH)

Optical

• General Optical Council

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Optical Registration Board at CORU

Osteopathy

• General Osteopathic Council

If resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Osteopathic Council of Ireland

Physiotherapy

• Health & Care Professions Council

If you are a resident in the Republic of Ireland:

• Physiotherapists Registration Board at CORU

Hospital & Treatment Centres

The definition of a Hospital/Treatment Centre is a medical facility that:

• has permanent facilities for caring for patients as an in-patient and/or a day patient and
• has facilities for medical practitioners to diagnose and treat injured or sick people and
• provides nursing services from qualified nurses/midwives who are on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register (or an equivalent register if the hospital/treatment centre is outside the UK) and
• is not a nursing home; hospice, convalescent home; residential care home; prison; health spa/hydro.

It is important to find qualified practitioners you can trust with your health and well-being. Use sites such as:

• Department of Health
• Health and Social Care Information Centre

Consultant Physician/Consultant Surgeon

They must be a registered Consultant Physician or Consultant Surgeon, including any individual holding an appropriate Consultant Physician or Consultant Surgeon position within a private or registered hospital/treatment centre. You may use the list below to help find someone who meets this definition. 

When searching for a physician for consultation or treatment, please make sure that the person appears on official registers, including:

• General Medical Council
• The Medical Council (Ireland)

Wellbeing and Alternative Therapies

For further information on understanding alternative therapies and finding certified practitioners, see: Wellbeing and Alternative Therapies Definitions.