In brief: summary of Council meeting of 29 March 2012

In brief: summary of Council meeting of 29 March 2012

The General Osteopathic Council met on 29 March 2012 at Osteopathy House. The agenda and all related papers can be found on the Meetings page of this website. Below is a summary of the key issues discussed and decisions taken. The full minutes of this meeting will be available after the next Council meeting on 17 July 2012.

GOsC registration fee

Council was presented with the findings of the fee consultation held in February. In total, 785 responses were received, with 61% favouring Option 1 – a 10% reduction of the highest registration fee. As a result, and following a recommendation by the Finance and General Purposes Committee, Council agreed that the highest registration fee should be reduced by 10% and that this would come into effect on 9 May 2012. See our press release for further information.

Budget and business plan

Council approved the GOsC Business Plan and Budget for 2012-13. The year will see further work on cost savings and the development of a new three year Corporate Plan for 2013-216.

Law Commission consultation

Council considered the Law Commission report on the regulation of healthcare professionals, a project commissioned by the Department of Health, that is expected to lead to a new consolidated Act of Parliament covering the current nine healthcare professional regulators. (Although not a merger of the regulators). The main areas under consideration are: governance, maintenance of registers; standard setting for education, training and practice; fitness to practise; and the role of the Privy Council (which currently approves all GOsC rules and appointments). The consultation closes on 31 May and the GOsC response will be published on this website.

Development of the profession

Council agreed to publish ‘UK osteopathy: ten questions for the next ten years’, a paper developed by the GOsC to encourage discussion on the future development of the profession. A copy of this document will be sent out to all osteopaths with the April/May issue of The Osteopath and we invite your feedback and engagement in debating the issues raised. The debate will be supported by a panel discussion with representatives of the BOA, osteopathic educational institutions and specialist societies at the six regional conferences for osteopaths being held across the UK between April and July.

International affairs

Council received an update on the work the GOsC is undertaking in Europe and internationally. This includes: the proposed merger of the Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe (FORE) and the European Federation of Osteopaths (EFO); the development of a European Standard of osteopathy with the European Committee of Standardisation; and the Memorandum of Understanding on reciprocal arrangements with the Australian and New Zealand regulators.