Consultations and events
We are committed to working with osteopaths, patients, other healthcare professionals and all those with an interest in osteopathic care and the work of the GOsC. Through consultations, we invite your views when we are planning new areas of work or changing the way we do things. We always welcome suggestions for improving the way we do things and we tell you below about how you can send us feedback.
Current Consultations
Osteopathic Practice Standards Update: Call for Feedback
What are the Osteopathic Practice Standards?
The Osteopathic Practice Standards (OPS) set out the knowledge and skills necessary to be an osteopath and they explain how osteopaths practise to high standards of competence, ethics, professionalism and safety.
With guidance from the OPS, osteopaths are trained to exercise their professional judgment to make independent decisions in partnership with patients in providing osteopathic advice and care.
Why are we reviewing the standards now?
It is good practice to review professional standards regularly to reflect changes in law, society and public expectations as well as developments in osteopathic practice and training.
Human interaction, touch and a holistic patient approach remain key foundations of osteopathic practice. The diversity of approaches in osteopathy supports patients in getting the care they want and need and we are proud of the high-quality care that osteopaths offer to patients.
Our 2023 Public and Patients Perceptions You Gov survey showed that osteopaths continued to provide high quality care with 94 to 99% of patients who had recently seen their osteopath rating them as good.
However, since the last review in 2019, health policy changes have included:
- national shared decision-making guidelines,
- shifting care to communities, to prevention and to digital literacy,
- changes in how many osteopaths work, and
- increasing use of artificial intelligence.
At the same time, complaints about failing to maintain appropriate professional boundaries are rising across the health professions, including osteopathy.
We also receive regular queries from osteopaths, patients and other health professionals about referrals, safety netting, speaking up, expectations about support, and how to delegate among other things.
We want to work with osteopaths, patients and others to make sure that the OPS is clear, accessible and fit for purpose for the future.
First stage- Call for feedback
We heard from osteopaths, students, patients and anyone with an interest in osteopathic practice to understand:
- What they thought of the current standards.
- How useful the standards are in practice.
- What works well and what doesn’t.
- Whether anything important is missing (including coverage of contemporary issues).
The call for feedback has now ended but the timline below highlights the full process.
| Date |
Activity |
| 01 March 2026 |
Call for feedback concludes |
| April and May 2026 |
Feedback analysed and first draft considered by working group (including osteopaths, students and patients) |
| June / July 2026 |
Draft considered by our Policy and Education Committee and Council and agreed for formal consultation |
| September 2026 |
Formal consultation launched along with comprehensive engagement programme |
| December 2026 |
Conclusion of consultation |
| January and February 2027 |
Consultation feedback analysed and final draft prepared in conjunction with working group |
| March / April or June / July 2027 |
Final consultation draft considered by Committee and Council |
| August 2027 |
OPS Published |
| August 2028 |
OPS comes into effect. |
Feedback
From all sections of the website you can email us to let us know what you think about the information there; you can also use the form on our Contact us page to ask us questions, let us know if you haven't found the information you want or to let us know if you have found anything on this website particularly helpful.
Involving patients in our work
We are looking for osteopathic patients to be actively involved in the work we do so we can listen, learn and better understand the patient perspective. If you are interested and willing to use your unique experience to help make a difference to future osteopathic care, we would love to hear from you. Find out more
Events
For details of forthcoming Council and Education Committee meetings that are open to the public visit our Meetings page. When we have other forthcoming events, details will be available here.
