o zone login
  1. You are at:
  2. Home
  3. Resources
  4. News
  5. Uniting osteopaths in Europe

Uniting osteopaths in Europe

28 May 2012

Report of the latest meeting of the Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe, held in Copenhagan.

Members of the Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe (FORE) came together on 21 and 22 April in Copenhagen to consider a number of issues that should help to strengthen the osteopathic profession across Europe. The GOsC was represented by its Chief Executive, Tim Walker.

FORE was initiated by the GOsC in 2005 to bring together European osteopathic organisations in order to facilitate greater communication with our colleagues in Europe and also to develop a consensus on standards of osteopathic education, training and practice – which can differ from country to country.

FORE is currently exploring a merger with another European osteopathic organisation, which has traditionally represented professional associations within Europe – the European Federation of Osteopaths (www.efo.eu). With tough austerity measures taking its toll in many European countries added to the fact that osteopathy is a small profession, it doesn’t make sense for two bodies to exist which share ultimately the same goal to achieve greater recognition and regulation of osteopathy as an autonomous healthcare profession. This regulation not only helps to improve care for patients, but also goes some way to unite and protect the osteopathic profession in the face of opposition from other professionals groups. Merger talks have started and a small working group is looking at the purpose and structure of a new single body for osteopathy in Europe.

At the meeting, FORE also discussed its work with the EFO to jointly fund and develop a European Standard of osteopathic healthcare provision with the European Committee for Standardisation (www.cen.eu). Once agreed, this standard, which is currently a working draft, will not override laws relating to osteopathy in existence, such as in the UK, but would provide a standard of care expected of osteopaths in those countries without any form of regulation. Again, this CEN Standard is meant to improve care but also to determine what constitutes the education, training and practice expected of an osteopath. This Standard is due for implementation by 2015.

Along with presentations from a representative of the Osteopathic European Academic Network (www.osean.eu) and an expert on wider EU higher education policy, FORE members also discussed a number of interesting developments concerning regulation in different European countries, including:

Belgium: the Government in Belgium has for some time been conducting an audit on how to regulate a number of different professions in Belgium, including osteopathy. This follows legal action taken against the Belgian Government in 2008 by two osteopathic organisations for not having implemented the Colla Act 1999, which set out four commissions to regulate osteopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy and acupuncture. The Government is now looking at different aspects of practice including codes of ethics, education standards, the different professions’ place in healthcare and insurance-related matters, before coming forward with formal proposals expected within the next 18 months.

Ireland: the Government in Ireland is due to report shortly on its plans to regulate osteopathy, along with herbal medicine, Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and chiropractic, and how they will fit into the Irish healthcare system. This follows an extensive review of the education standards of all these professions in Australia and across Europe carried out in 2011.

Italy: a draft Bill to regulate osteopathy has been tabled in the Italian Parliament. The Bill aims to protect the title ‘osteopath’, set minimum education and training standards and make registration compulsory in order to practise. This proposal will now go through the legislative decision-making process, which could take up to two
years before becoming law.

For further information on any of these developments, contact the FORE Secretariat at: foresecretariat@osteopathy.org.uk.