Past consultations and outcomes
Here is a list of the consultations we have carried out over the past five years. If you would like information about consultations from further back, please email info@osteopathy.org.uk
16 October 2025
The consultation showed overwhelming support for legislative change to strengthen protection of the osteopathic title. We will now engage with the Department of Health and Social Care to explore changes to the law and continue working with the Advertising Standards Authority to address potentially misleading use of the title by unregulated individuals. Consultation document
29 November 2024
The guidance was updated to reflect stakeholder feedback and Easy Read versions were developed to improve accessibility. Further work will be undertaken to develop supporting resources and raise awareness among students and education providers. Consultation document
1 May 2024
The Guidance about Professional Behaviours and Student Fitness to Practise was updated to reflect feedback from students, educators, patients and professional stakeholders. Changes included additional case studies, greater clarity on fitness to practise processes and the introduction of guidance on disposal by consent. Consultation document
3 October 2023
The Guidance on Imposing Interim Suspension Orders and Practice Note on Undertakings were updated to provide greater clarity on risk assessment, proportionality and the use of undertakings during fitness to practise proceedings. Consultation document
31 October 2022
The Practice Note for Questioning Witnesses was updated to reflect learning from remote hearings and to strengthen support for fair, respectful and impartial questioning, helping to ensure that witnesses are treated appropriately and that hearings are conducted fairly. Consultation document
11 April 2022
The guidance to provide greater clarity on how the Osteopathic Practice Standards apply when osteopaths provide adjunctive therapies, non-osteopathic treatments or undertake other work. Changes included clearer explanations of the purpose and scope of the guidance, additional information to support patient decision-making and consent, and a summary of the key messages. The updated guidance was approved for publication. Consultation document
5 April 2022
The guidance was updated to provide greater clarity on how the Osteopathic Practice Standards apply when osteopaths provide adjunctive therapies, non-osteopathic treatments or undertake other work. Changes included clearer explanations of the purpose and scope of the guidance, further clarification of adjunctive therapies and the types of work covered by the guidance, additional information to support patient decision-making and consent, and a summary of the key messages. Consultation document