I first wrote about wanting to open a low cost acupuncture clinic alongside my regular practice back in March last year (see here). Over the intervening months I’ve visited some community clinics to see how they work. I’ve spent some time thinking about how I might need to change how I work and ensuring I’ve the training I need to make those changes. And I’ve been looking everywhere for a space from which I can run such a clinic, only to discover there’s a suitable space in the building I already work from in Welton. So I’m almost ready…
But what is a Community Acupuncture Clinic?
A Community Acupuncture clinic (also known as a Multibed clinic) is a clinic in which several people are treated at the same time in one large room containing a number of couches which are screened off for privacy. The acupuncturist spends about 20 minutes with each patient, discussing the patient’s needs and assessing progress before providing treatment. The patient then rests with the needles in while the practitioner moves on to the next patient. (You can read more about Community Acupuncture here)
While its common for community clinics to have several acupuncturists managing up to six patients at a time, the room in Welton isn’t that big but will accommodate three couches easily. So I hope to be treating up to three patients an hour when its up and running.
But why choose treatment in a Community Clinic?
While this is a relatively new way of delivering acupuncture in the West in the Far East its normal to treat in this way and there are a number of benefits for the patient. Perhaps the most tangible is that it significantly reduces the cost, with a sliding scale for payments which allows patients to decide what they can afford. Beyond that having treatment in a communal space can itself be a powerful experience that reduces the sense of isolation that can come with ill health.
So what will treatment cost?
The Resurgis Community Clinic will operate a sliding scale of prices running from £18 to £36, allowing patients to pay what they can afford.
£36 – if you are financially secure and can afford treatment.
£30 – if you are mainly financially stable, but have some challenges.
£24 – if you have some financial struggle, but manage to make ends meet.
£18 – if you struggle to make ends meet and often don’t.
So when is this happening?
I’m really excited about this new clinic and I hope its going to make acupuncture more accessible to more people locally. It seems to have taken far too long from my initial idea to get to this stage and I’m not quite there yet. But I’m hoping to have the clinic up and running before the end of February ‘23. In the meantime if you’ve any questions about the clinic, acupuncture, health or would simply like to be notified when the clinic is up and running please feel free to get in touch.
I will of course continue to see patients privately so existing patients (and new patients) won’t be asked to start using the community clinic unless they wish to.
Thanks for reading to the end.
Bruce
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