Special Procedures Licensing Scheme
Information on the new mandatory special procedures licensing scheme for practitioners and premises
The scheme requires practitioners who perform any special procedure (list provided below) on someone else in Wales to be licensed (this licence is referred to as a ‘Special Procedures Licence’). The scheme also requires that premises/vehicles from which special procedures practitioners operate will need to be approved (known as an ‘Approved Premises Certificate’). The scheme also has mandatory requirements/conditions within the Regulations for practitioners and premises/vehicles.
Special procedures covered by the new licensing scheme
The new scheme, at present, only applies to certain special procedures. These are defined in Section 57 of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017, and include the following:
- Acupuncture (including dry needling)
- Body piercing
- Electrolysis
- Tattooing (including semi-permanent make up / microblading)
Timescales
The Regulations have now come into force.
Practitioners Licence
The new licensing scheme requires practitioners who perform any of the prescribed special procedures listed above on someone else in Wales to be licensed. The licence will specify which special procedure(s) the practitioner is licenced to practice, as well as listing the premises that the practitioner operates from. Each practitioner must have their own licence. Licensed practitioners can only operate in premises/vehicles that have been approved.
It will be an offence for a practitioner to carry out a special procedure without a licence or to perform any procedures from premises or vehicles that are not approved. It will also be an offence not to comply with the specific requirements detailed in the regulation for practitioners and premises/vehicles.
If you are a new practitioner you will be required to apply for and be issued with a practitioner licence prior to undertaking any special procedures in Wales.
Apply for a Practitioners Licence here
Approved Premises / Vehicle Certificate
The new licensing scheme will require all premises or vehicles where any of the specified special procedures (acupuncture, body piercing, electrolysis and/or tattooing) performed by licensed practitioners to be approved. The approval certificate will be issued to the person responsible for the business at a premises (this may be the owner, manager or practitioner - they do not need to be the person performing the procedures themselves and may not be directly employing practitioners). If a practitioner holds a special procedure licence but is an employee, or rents a chair/room in someone else's business, then they do not need to have their own premises/vehicle approval certificate but must still make sure that they only operate from an approved premises or vehicle.
It will be an offence for a practitioner to carry out a special procedure without a licence or to perform any procedures from premises or vehicles that are not approved. It will also be an offence not to comply with the specific requirements detailed in the regulation for practitioners and premises/vehicles.
If you are setting up a new premises / vehicle in which you intend to provide any special procedures, you will be required to apply for and be issued with a an approved premises / vehicle certificate prior to undertaking any special procedures in Wales in the premises / vehicle.
Apply for a Premises / Vehicle Approval Certificate here
Variation of a Special Procedure licence
If you hold a Special Procedure licence and need to make a change to it you should complete this form.
You can use this form to
- Add a special procedure(s)
- Notify us of a structural change to the premises or vehicle
- Notify us of a change of detail including name
- Remove a procedure
Fees
Please find information regarding the current fee structure for the new regime here
National Database of Licensed Practitioners and Approved Premises / Vehicles
There is a requirement under the new scheme for a database of all licensed practitioners and approved premises / vehicles to be made available to the public.
The National database is available here: Special Procedures Public Register .
Further information and guidance
Further information and guidance regarding the requirements of the scheme is available here:
Welsh Government has published statutory and non-statutory guidance. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.wales/special-procedures-acupuncture-electrolysis-body-piercing-and-tattooing
In addition Public Health Wales has also produced infection control guidance which can be found at: https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/antibiotics-and-infections/infection-prevention-control/resources-for-healthcare-professionals/special-procedures/
Contact us
For application queries regarding the special procedures licensing scheme, please email licensing@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
For any other enquires regarding the special procedures licensing scheme or to report a concern regarding a practitioner, premises or vehicle performing any special procedure/s, please email environmental.health@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk