General Osteopathic Council

Surveys & statistics

This page provides statistics relating to osteopathy as well as details of surveys carried out by the General Osteopathic Council on levels of public awareness and trends in the development of the profession.

To make this page more interactive we are seeking the views of patients and the public on issues relevant to osteopathic regulation. 

To respond to our current survey, which seeks your feedback on this website, click on the current survey button in the navigation menu on the left or on the link at the bottom of this page.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Statistics

Osteopathic profession
  • There are currently 4,261 osteopaths on the UK Statutory Register of Osteopaths. Of these, 2,198 are male and 2,063 are female [correct as of 7 April 2010].
  • The majority of osteopaths are aged between 31 and 50, although the profession includes all ages between 21 and 70.
  • Although osteopaths practise in all corners of the United Kingdom, the greatest number are to be found in England (85.2%). The rest are in Scotland (3.1%), Wales (2.2%), Northern Ireland (0.4%) and overseas (9.1%).
Osteopathic training
  • Training to be an osteopath takes 4 years full-time or 5 years part-time. There are 10 osteopathic education institutions awarding qualifications recognised by the General Osteopathic Council.
  • Osteopaths must complete 30 hours of Continuing Professional Development per year.
Osteopathic patients
  • Around 30,000 people currently consult osteopaths every working day.
  • 54% of new patients are seen within one working day after contacting the osteopath; 95% are seen within one week.
Osteopathic treatment
  • Most osteopaths work in private practice. Treatment costs vary across the UK, but typically start at between £35 to £50 for a 30-minute session.
  • Osteopathy remains principally a form of private healthcare with more than 80% of patients funding their own treatment.
  • Most major private health insurance policies provide cover for osteopathic treatment. In 2007, private health insurance accounted for 10.4% of payments for osteopathic treatment.
  • Public opinion surveys show that 88% of respondents feel the NHS should provide osteopathic treatment, or believe that it is already doing so.

Source: GOsC Public Awareness Survey (2006) and the GOsC Osteopathic Practice Survey - Pilot Study (2006 - 07).

Surveys

Public Awareness
 

Awareness of osteopathy currently stands at 83% amongst the UK adult population, according to a survey commissioned by the GOsC in 2006.  Telephone surveys of the public were conducted across the UK by GfK and The Survey Shop.

Our aim was not only to gauge current public awareness but also to sample the British public's opinion of osteopaths and their experiences of osteopathic treatment. For this reason, a representative sample of 1,000 members of the public were drawn at random from the UK electoral roll.

To see the complete findings of the 2006 survey, click here.

To access the findings of a public awareness survey conducted on behalf of the GOsC in 2001 click here.

'Snapshot'

The GOsC has commissioned a series of surveys in order to give a 'snapshot' of current osteopathic practice in the UK at a particular point in time.

A pilot study on osteopathic practice was conducted by the GOsC during 2006-2007.  The findings produced some interesting statistics about the profession (see above). This pilot study is now being used to develop a national survey of osteopathic practice for launch in late 2009. Email us if you would like more.

To see the findings of the GOsC's snapshot survey conducted in 2001 click here.

Current survey

Click on the link below to access our current survey:

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