o zone login
  1. You are at:
  2. Home
  3. Resources
  4. News
  5. The General Osteopathic Council removes Mark Mathews from its Register of Osteopaths

The General Osteopathic Council removes Mark Mathews from its Register of Osteopaths

24 January 2018

On 16 January 2018, the GOsC’s Professional Conduct Committee found Mr Mark Mathews, of Guildford, Surrey, guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and decided that the appropriate sanction would be to remove his name from the Register of Osteopaths.

The Committee determined that Mr Mathews’ failures, which were in connection with one patient over four sessions in July 2016, related to fundamental areas of osteopathic practice, namely, history taking, examination, treatment plan, obtaining of consent, communication and overall professionalism. The Committee found his failure to carry out an adequate osteopathic assessment had the potential to cause significant harm, particularly in the light of the patient’s ongoing medical condition.

The Committee concluded that Mr Mathews had allowed his own clinical beliefs to override the patient-practitioner partnership essential for good osteopathic practice.

In deciding the sanction, the Committee was satisfied that “the only means of protecting the public, maintaining professional standards and public confidence in the profession, in this instance, is by way of removal from the Register”.

In reaching this decision, the Committee considered that Mr Mathews’ conduct and behaviour, his deep-seated attitudinal deficiencies, lack of insight, lack of remorse, the absence of adequate remediation, and his disengagement from the regulator was such that the Committee determined his acts and omissions fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.

Mr Mathews is now unable to practise as an osteopath.

He has 28 days to appeal his removal from the Register, during which time Mr Mathews is suspended from the statutory Register of Osteopaths with immediate effect.

You can read the full hearing decision at www.osteopathy.org.uk/news-and-resources/document-library/fitness-to-practise/mr-mark-mathews-pcc-hearing-decision-15-16-january-2018/

ENDS

For further information, contact:
The GOsC Press Office
Tel: 020 7357 6655 x245
Email: pressoffice@osteopathy.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) has a statutory duty to regulate the practice of osteopathy in the UK. Osteopaths must be registered with the GOsC in order to practise in the UK.

2. We work with the public and the profession to promote patient safety by:

  • registering qualified professionals;
  • setting, maintaining and developing standards of osteopathic practice and conduct;
  • assuring the quality of osteopathic education;
  • ensuring continuing professional development;
  • helping patients with concerns or complaints about an osteopath.

3. The Statutory Register of Osteopaths provides a geographical index of all practising osteopaths and is available to the general public and to healthcare providers online at: www.osteopathy.org.uk/register-search/