Complementary Therapy

Must not donate if:
a) The condition for which treatment was given is not acceptable.

b) It is less than four months from any treatment that involves:
•    piercing the skin (e.g. acupuncture)
•    drawing blood (e.g. wet cupping)
•    an invasive procedure (e.g colonic irrigation)

a) If oral or topical complementary medicines only and reason for which treatment was given is acceptable, accept

b) For all other therapies

1. Performed within the NHS
If performed by NHS staff on NHS premises including GP surgeries, accept.

2. Performed outside of the NHS
If performed by a Qualified Health Care Professional registered with the

General Medical Council (GMC),
Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC),
General Dental Council (GDC),
The General Chiropractic Council (GCC),
The General Optical Council (GOC),
The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC),
General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC),
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI),
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (which regulates Physiotherapists, Arts therapists, Biomedical Scientists, Chiropodists/ Podiatrists, Clinical Scientists, Dieticians, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Occupational Therapists, Operating Department Practitioners, Orthoptists, Paramedics, Practitioner Psychologists, Prosthetists and Orthotists, Radiographers and Speech and Language Therapists), accept.

Equipment that has been reused has passed infection from person to person. Therapists who are subject to discipline from statutorily constituted professional authorities are expected to follow safe practices.

This guidance presumes that a validated NAT test for hepatitis C is negative. If this test is stopped the guidance will change.

When there is any doubt about infection being passed on, waiting four months means infections are more likely to be picked up by the tests used by the blood services.

Part of this entry is a requirement of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005.

The regulatory organisations for Pharmacists in the UK have been added.
The HCPC ceased to be the regulatory authority for Social Workers in England in 2019. The list of health and care professionals regulated by the HCPC has been amended.

If you wish to obtain more information regarding a personal medical issue please contact your National Help Line.

Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers.