It's in draft stage at present so nothing should change as yet.
It's daft for a GP to refer for a set amount of treatments as often no change after two or three sessions means the person is unlikely to respond so why waste further sessions? Placebo and anecdotal evidence are strong things in my opinion and as pain is 100% subjective it's sometimes impossible to trial everything.
So many drugs are used off licence because they have been found to help with other things but it's too expensive to do another trial.
Acupuncture doesn't make the problem go away when used in western medicine. It is rarely used as a stand alone treatment but often to help things settle before starting exercise programmes etc. the draft is mainly considering chronic non specific lower back pain and yes the things that do work best are correct information (being told you have a 'crumbling' or 'collapsed' spine by a doctor or whoever isn't going to help a therapist encourage you to do an exercise programme!), a useful set exercises and education to do in your own time as well as under supervision, manual therapy and some cbt and education around chronic pain and how it is not proportionate to tissue damage are all essential.
I find what often works best is what the patient wants. Yes it's not always clinically indicated (never dangerous!!) but if they KNOW massage will make them better I can pretty much bet they will get 'better' with a bit of massage. It's trying to get them on board to do the rest to prevent recurrence.
Too many people are adamant they want an X-ray or scan when it is just not indicated but as they nag and nag they usually get sent for one at great expense. Surely the doctors should be able to stand firm on this without the fear of any come back.
My friend had a bad back and a chiropractor told her she needed an MRI. I asked her why and she said she had better have one just in case. Just in case of what?? She had no radiating pain or inflamatory things going on and wouldn't have had surgery

so it is 100% pointless. She's done a load of exercises and it's completely settled. The MRI would have been a huge waste of money.
So yes from experience I think acupuncture can help with an acute flare up of a chronic back to help settle the acute pain but then exercises/manual therapy and education etc are the way forward. For just a long standing grumbling chronic back hmmmm I'm not so sure it is the best thing. It isn't what I would do first anyway.