Working together for the future of UK osteopathy

Future-proofing UK osteopathy

At the recent GOsC regional conferences the afternoon session was occupied by an open forum focusing on the future of the osteopathy profession. Some of the issues discussed in the open forum were: How should the osteopathic profession develop over the next decade? What needs to be done to facilitate that development? Who should lead the different aspects of this development?

Now the four organisations, including the GOsC, that took part in the forum have issued a joint statement, set out below, about how we will work together in the future.

The collaborating organisations are:

• The British Osteopathic Association, which published a discussion document called A structure fit for the future of osteopathy: core issues and key questions.
• The Council of Osteopathic Education Institutions
• The General Osteopathic Council, which published the discussion document UK osteopathy: Ten questions for the next ten years
• The Osteopathic Alliance

Common statement

Over the past four months, at six regional conferences, we have had the opportunity to hear the views of over 800 osteopaths on the future of the osteopathic profession.

We are grateful for the positive and productive feedback we have received from the profession, and encouraged by the view expressed widely that there is a need for all the organisations represented to work together to support the development of osteopathic practice and the osteopathic profession.

What we plan to do now is to reflect on your feedback and come together in the autumn to consider what actions need to be taken and over what time period.

We will continue to engage with the profession and seek to ensure the widest input we can from individual osteopaths into this work, while also communicating progress to you.

If you were unable to attend any of the conferences and would like to put forward your own ideas or views – whether on the documents published by the BOA or GOsC or on other relevant matters – please do so either via the BOA, the Council of Osteopathic Education Institutions, the GOsC or the Osteopathic Alliance.

Adrian Barnes, Chair, Council of Osteopathic Education Institutions
Nicholas Handoll, Coordinator, Osteopathic Alliance
Tim Walker, Chief Executive and Registrar, General Osteopathic Council
Michael Watson, Chief Executive, British Osteopathic Association