The GOsC has a legal duty to ensure that osteopathy in the UK is practised competently and safely. This page explains the standards that osteopaths must adhere to in their practice.
The standards required of osteopaths to ensure quality care for patients and to protect them from harm are currently outlined in two documents: the Standard 2000 – Standard of Proficiency and the Code of Practice.
New Osteopathic Practice Standards, to take effect from 1 September 2012, contain updated versions of both the Code of Practice and Standard of Proficiency. The Osteopathic Practice Standards set out what will be required of osteopaths from
1 September 2012.
In developing the new Osteopathic Practice Standards, we held a formal consultation canvassing a wide range of views from individual patients, patient representative
groups, osteopaths, osteopathic educational institutions, osteopathy students and the
British Osteopathic Association.
The consultation was carried out by consultants Hewell, Taylor, Freed & Associates,
who have produced a report analysing the responses to the consultation. The GOsC
also commissioned an equality impact assessment from equality and diversity
consultant Agnes Fletcher to identify any equality and diversity issues that might arise
from the introduction of the new standards.
The GOsC reviewed the consultation analysis report and the equality impact assessment and agreed a series of actions and recommendations as set out in its Response to the Osteopathic Practice Standards Consultation.
We make sure that osteopaths keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date with our lifelong learning programme of continuing professional development.
The GOsC is about to launch a pilot on proposals for a new scheme of revalidation for osteopaths. Revalidation is a mechanism by which osteopaths can demonstrate that they continue to meet our standards and seek to improve their practice in order to enhance the quality and safety of patient care. For more information see our Revalidation page.
Carrying out audits of various aspects of clinical practice can make a significant contribution to improving standards of practice. An Introduction to Clinical Audit for Practising Osteopaths, has been produced by the National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR) to enhance osteopaths’ knowledge and understanding of clinical audit.
The GOsC has worked closely with NCOR on the development of the audit handbook as a quality improvement tool and one way in which osteopaths may be able to provide supporting information for the purposes of revalidation.
In the rare event that a patient believes an osteopath has failed to meet the high standards we set, the Council can provide advice and, where appropriate, help the patient make a formal complaint. The GOsC has the authority to give osteopaths an admonishment, impose conditions on their practice, suspend them from the Register for a fixed period, or to remove them from the Register if they are unfit to practise.
We welcome comments and feedback about this website and the information on it. If you have any comments or if you have not been able to find the information you want in this section or on the website as a whole, please contact us by using the form on the Contact us page or by emailing info@osteopathy.org.uk.