General Osteopathic Council successfully prosecutes Gareth Milner for unlawfully describing himself as an osteopath

Mr Milner appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court on 4 March 2021, and was found guilty on one count of using the osteopathic title while not registered with the GOsC, contrary to section 32(1) of the Osteopaths Act 1993.

Since the passing of the Osteopaths Act 1993, the osteopathic title is protected and it is a criminal offence for any person to describe themselves, whether expressly or by implication, as any kind of osteopath unless registered with the GOsC.

Patient safety is the primary purpose of protecting the use of the osteopathic title. The GOsC ensures that the practitioners on its Register are safe and competent osteopaths who follow strict codes of conduct.

Mr Milner had resigned from the GOsC’s Register in July 2011, and was therefore no longer permitted to use the title of osteopath.

The offence related to information that Mr Milner continued to provide on his websites, which implied that he was still an osteopath, despite the fact that he had resigned from the GOsC’s Register in 2011. Mr Milner was given warnings by the GOsC that by continuing to use the osteopathic title he may be committing a criminal offence, but despite this, he failed to make adequate amendments to his websites.

Mr Milner was fined £1,300 and ordered to pay costs of £360 to the GOsC.

You can find details of all osteopaths registered in the UK by searching the GOsC’s Register: osteopathy.org.uk/register-search