In Council: brief report of the 19 January Council meeting

This is a summary of the proceedings at the Council meeting held on 19 January 2010. Full minutes will be available on this website, on the Meetings page, after the next Council meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 18 November 2009, are available there now.

UK Health and Social Care Regulators’ Public and Patient Involvement Group (PPI Group)

The Council received a presentation on various methods of engaging with patients and the public from Martin Caple, the Chair of the Public and Patient Involvement Group – a body comprising representatives from all health regulators. The GOsC, in common with all health regulators, has a duty to consult patients and the public in relation to its statutory functions.

Osteopathic Practice Framework (Scope of Practice)

The Council received details of the main findings of the Osteopathic Practice Framework consultation, including an independent analysis of the discussions at the regional consultation meetings held last year.

A full report of the Osteopathic Practice Framework consultation findings is available in the news section of this website.

Osteopathic Practice Standards

The Council received details of the key findings of the Osteopathic Practice Standards consultation, and concluded that further consultation was necessary to integrate the Osteopathic Practice Standards with the revised Code of Practice.

Revalidation

The Council noted the progress of the revalidation work programme, including plans for an associated review of continuing professional development.

Quality Assurance Review

The Council endorsed a programme of work to improve the GOsC quality assurance processes for osteopathic educational courses to ensure they remain fit for purpose and as efficient and effective as possible within our current legislative framework.

Fitness to practise committees’ reports

Investigating Committee

The cases considered since the last report to Council in November raised a wide range of issues concerning allegations of unacceptable professional conduct and professional incompetence, including issues relating to case history taking; examination; investigation; treatment; treatment planning; post-treatment evaluation; referral decisions; communication; record keeping; and consent.

Professional Conduct Committee (PCC)

The Council noted that the Regulation Department had taken steps to increase the number of hearings taking place in 2010 to ensure that, subject to exceptional circumstances, cases currently awaiting hearing would be dealt with by July 2010.

Training of PCC members in the imposition of sanctions, including use of the Council’s Indicative Sanctions Guidance, was held on 21 January 2010.

The Chair of the PCC identified several matters that may improve procedures and these are currently under consideration.

Stakeholder engagement

As a statutory regulator, the GOsC has a specific duty to engage actively with all relevant stakeholders. This ensures the GOsC has proper regard for the interests of registrants, and for the interests of persons using or needing the services of osteopaths. The GOsC is committed also to working with those concerned with the education, training, and employment of osteopaths, and with the regulation of healthcare professions and provision of health services, in the interests of promoting patient safety and high standards of osteopathic practice.

The Council receives an overview of stakeholder engagement activities at each of its meetings.