At the 1998 Annual Representative Meeting of the BMA a resolution was passed that the Board of Science and Education should "investigate the scientific basis and efficacy of acupuncture and the quality of training and standards of competence in its practitioners." This report summarizes literature sources and research on acupuncture, looks at safety aspects including the treatment's adverse effects, discusses education and training guidelines, presents results from a survey of UK GPs and suggests future developments for acupuncture, particularly its increased incorporation into the NHS. It will provide doctors, patients, researchers and purchasers of healthcare with information on this most widely used therapy of complementary and alternative medicine, enabling them to become more informed on the value of acupuncture and its likely place within the NHS.