Welcome to Acupuncture & Wellness Kersey Mill
After a long career in London I changed my path and studied a 3 year degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at London South Bank University (qualifying in 2017). I always envisioned creating a calming and relaxing space in a beautiful environment because I felt that acupuncture works at its best when administered in a place that allows the patient to let go and relax.
When the opportunity arose at the beginning of 2019 I moved my practise to Kersey Mill, a beautiful location just outside of Hadleigh.
I look forward to welcoming you into the clinic!
Benjamin Hymas BSC (Hons) MBAcC
How can you be sure that your acupuncturist is safe and properly trained? Will treat you ethically and is using real Chinese medicine diagnosis to inform their treatment protocols?
You choose a member of the British Acupuncture Council!
A lot of my patients report they had acupuncture in the past and sometimes say it either hurt or even didn’t work. This can be avoided by choosing a practitioner trained to a degree level in acupuncture vs another practitioner that attended a short course to use acupuncture as an “add-on” to their treatments.
During the first visit we spend some time going over your health history, and if you have time we have a first treatment, this first visit is usually 90 minutes in total.
Typically a patient has one or two major complaint(s) that they want rectified, however Chinese Medicine differs from Western Medicine as we look at the body and mind as a whole; so we usually identify a list of issues that we can deal with alongside resolving the main complaint – a full body MOT!
When you arrive you will complete a health history form, unless you have done this online via a link I can email to you prior to visiting.
I will answer any concerns or questions, provide you with a treatment plan and discuss any required payment and discuss the most affordable way for you to follow your treatment plan all the way through.
Frequently Asked Questions (expand menu)
Removal of any clothing isn’t usually necessary. We’ll agree on specific points that could be on the arms, hands, lower legs or feet while you relax and take a breather
Generally, acupuncture is not painful but may produce some temporary kind of sensation at the site of needling, a little tingle. Acupuncture needles are extremely thin, smaller than a single piece of hair
New visits typically last 60 minutes. Return visits are typically 45-60 minutes
This varies for each person, chronic conditions usually require more visits than acute. On your first visit after a full diagnosis we draw up a treatment plan
Once we complete an assessment and draw up a treatment plan, we can then give you an accurate estimate of the total number of treatments and frequency of visits. There are various payment options which can be viewed on the pricing page.
You lay down and we agree the locations for acupuncture points being used in a session. I usually place a heat lamp over the abdomen and legs and patients fall asleep for the session which is on average 35 minutes. Most patients do not feel the needles at all and afterwards report feeling like they have had a really refreshing sleep.
I am a registered as a provider for Aviva. Other insurers (Dependent on individual policies) will usually cover 6-10 sessions of acupuncture and reimburse the patient
Acupuncture has an incredible safety profile. To give you peace of mind, I am a full member of the British Acupuncture Council and have to adhere to strict safety guidelines. I studied a 3 year full time degree at London South Bank University which included anatomy, physiology and western medical pathology.
Regrettably if an appointment is cancelled within 24 hrs of the appointment date and time, there will be a charge for the full cost of the scheduled appointment. Although initial consultations are free of charge, if they are cancelled within 24hrs there is a charge of £35 for the time lost to other patients.
The general consensus is that acupuncture is an extremely safe intervention with very rare side effects. If side effects occur they are minimal and short lived. This may include slight bruising at the site of needling, feeling light headed (usually only happens if you don’t eat, or drink too much coffee prior to treatment), temporary worsening of symptoms as the body heals after treatment (normally 24hrs after the 1st visit) and an emotional release.
Health
Anxiety
Stress
Pain
Happiness
GDPR and your data
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will replace the existing Data Protection Act of 1998 and will bring the regulations up to date and help protect our personal information from our ever expanding digital footprint.
My Data Protection Promise:
As the ‘Data Controller’ of your personal data, I take my role in the protection of your data very seriously. As such, I promise to:
- Only collect data from you that is relevant to your acupuncture treatment.
- Not pass on your personal data to any third-parties for marketing purposes.
- Contact you and get your consent if I need to communicate with other health professionals (such as your doctor) about your care.
- Use ‘Private Practice Software’ to store your personal information. This means your information is well protected from theft or unauthorised access. Full details of this security is available at www.acusimple.com
- Use ‘MailChimp’ to send out news and promotions. This means your information is well protected from theft or unauthorised access. Full details of this security is available at https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/
- Use paper notes for your treatment records which are kept securely under lock and key in the clinic which is locked and alarmed.
- I maintain registration with the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights. www.ico.org.uk.
Should you have any concerns about your personal data or you wish to have information about the personal data I hold about you, you can contact me at benhymas@gmail.com
Your Data Protection Rights under the GDPR:
When GDPR comes into effect in May 2018 you will have the right to:
- Access any of the information that I collect plus any other content that forms part of your patient record, including notes and expect to be able to read them and understand what they mean without expert medical knowledge.
- Know if your personal information has been forwarded to a third-party (such as a fellow healthcare professional, consultant or GP.)
- Have any invalid information about you corrected.
- Have your personal data deleted by me if you decide to switch to another acupuncture provider.
- Prevent further use (or processing) of your information.
- Ask your acupuncturist to send you (or your new acupuncturist) your personal information in an open electronic format like a .csv file or text file.
- Request that your acupuncturist stops sending you any marketing information.
- Ensure that any profiling that is undertaken using your personal data is fair, appropriate, statistically valid and transparent.
- Expect your acupuncturist to take appropriate measures to protect your data.
- Be notified if critical information about you was inappropriately accessed and was deemed to be a critical breach.
- Not to have your personal information transferred outside the EU.
- Know how your personal information is being used by your acupuncturist.