General Osteopathic Council to sell its office building

We, like many businesses, continue to review our finances to make sure we are being as cost effective as possible. As a charity our Council members – who also act as our Trustees – have a responsibility to manage our finances responsibly.

Maintaining our current headquarters comes with considerable costs, and by selling the building, which is now mostly empty as staff work in a hybrid model, we aim to make best use of our resources and reduce our expenditure.

Since the pandemic, the way in which organisations operate, including the GOsC, has evolved, with many taking advantage of the benefits of hybrid working such as faster, easier and more inclusive connection with others using online meetings. We too have been able to take advantage of these benefits while keeping in regular contact with each other including through in-person staff connection days.

The decision to sell our current office is not only part of our aim to be more cost efficient in how we work but also so we can better engage with osteopaths, students and patients in different regions of the UK. For example, we will be holding some of our Council meetings in a variety of locations across the UK and we hope this will make it easier for members of the public, osteopaths, students and our partners to observe our discussions and decision making in person.

We will continue to be able to meet the needs of all involved in our fitness to practise hearings when deciding whether to hold in person or online hearings. The location of our in-person hearings will depend on the needs of those involved as we would be able to hire suitable spaces as needed, such as those used by other regulators both in healthcare and beyond.

GOsC Chief Executive, Matthew Redford said: ‘This is an important decision so we continue to be a financially responsible regulator who uses registration fees appropriately. We also believe that meeting with those involved in our work, much more ‘on their turf’, is an important step to building trust and putting a more human face on the GOsC and our work.

‘Our staff will continue to work remotely most of the time, providing the same high level of service to osteopaths, patients, members of the public and our partners that we have developed working remotely over the past five years.’

We welcome any questions about this move. You can contact us on:

• Phone: 020 7357 6655 x242
• Email: info@osteopathy.org.uk
• WhatsApp: 020 7046 0406

Read a blog from our Chief Executive, Matthew Redford explaining the reasons for this change in more detail.