GOsC maintains public confidence in the regulation of osteopathy

For immediate use

The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) has been commended for its effective initial handling of fitness to practise decisions by the independent statutory body overseeing the work of all healthcare regulators, the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).

In an audit of the GOsC’s initial stages of fitness to practise procedures, the CHRE found that the Council makes “consistent decisions that are sound, that protect the public, and that should maintain public confidence in the regulation of the osteopathic profession”.

The CHRE identified several areas of good practice during the course of the audit, which included:

• An active approach in assisting complainants who wish to make a complaint
• Sending evidence to the complainant and registrant for comment before the matter is considered by the Investigating Committee
• The practice of the Investigating Committee in giving advice to the registrant on improving areas of their practice when closing a case, where appropriate.

The audit highlighted two areas where some enhancement was needed – in providing more detailed explanations of some of the Investigating Committee’s decisions and more complete recording of interactions with the parties involved in the complaints process.

Head of Regulation, Velia Soames, commented: “The GOsC welcomes the positive results of the CHRE audit, and in particular that we make consistent and sound fitness to practise decisions. We are constantly reviewing our processes and procedures to ensure we deal with all fitness to practise complaints as efficiently and transparently as possible. Feedback from the audit will help us to scrutinise particular areas of our fitness to practise procedures to make sure we maintain public confidence in the regulation of the osteopathic profession.”

The full audit report is available on the CHRE website at www.chre.org.uk.

ENDS

For further information, contact:
The GOsC Press Office
Tel: 020 7357 6655 ext. 245
Email: pressoffice@osteopathy.org.uk 

NOTES TO EDITORS

The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) has a statutory duty to regulate the practice of osteopathy in the UK. Osteopaths must be registered with the GOsC in order to practise in the UK.

We work with the public and the profession to promote patient safety by: 

• registering qualified professionals
• setting, maintaining and developing standards of osteopathic practice and conduct 
• assuring the quality of osteopathic education 
• ensuring continuing professional development
• helping patients with concerns or complaints about an osteopath.

The 2009 Statutory Register of Osteopaths provides a geographical index of all practising osteopaths, and is available to the general public and to healthcare providers online at: www.osteopathy.org.uk.

The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) is the body charged by Parliament with overseeing the work of the nine healthcare regulators. 

The nine healthcare regulators are:

• General Chiropractic Council (GCC)
• General Dental Council (GDC)
• General Medical Council (GMC)
• General Optical Council (GOC)
• General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)
• Health Professions Council (HPC)
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)