Raise a concern

Maintaining patient safety and public confidence in the osteopathic profession sits at the heart of fitness to practise and, by law, we must investigate and consider concerns about osteopaths’ conduct, competence or health.

Through our fitness to practise processes we have a duty to identify whether a concern about an osteopath is a legitimate matter that needs to be investigated. The fitness to practise procedures are designed to protect the public and are not intended to serve as a general complaints resolution process.

We publish the outcomes of concerns made to us in our Annual Reports and our Fitness to Practise Annual Reports.

We receive fitness to practise concerns about osteopaths from a variety of sources, including:

• members of the public, including patients
• other osteopaths
• employers of osteopaths
• students of osteopathy
• other health professionals.

Every osteopath in the UK must be registered with us and must follow our Osteopathic Practice Standards, which set out the standards and guidelines for the safe and competent practice of osteopathy

Concerns and complaints about osteopaths

Many concerns can be resolved directly with the osteopath in question. However, we want you to contact us immediately in any cases in which the osteopath is:

• acting in a dishonest, indecent or violent way
• working under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• having a personal relationship with a patient
• examining or treating a patient without their consent
• incompetent (when an osteopath’s work fails to meet the standards we set in our Osteopathic Practice Standards)
• treating someone negatively based only on that person’s ethnicity, background, identity or protected characteristics

If you are a patient and have other concerns about the treatment you have received, or the way your osteopath has behaved, the best person to talk to first is usually the osteopath in question. Many concerns arise from misunderstandings and it is often helpful to discuss your concerns with the osteopath first.

If you would prefer not to do this, you may be able to discuss it with another osteopath in the practice. Ask about the practice’s complaints procedure: all osteopathic practices should have one. If there is no one else in the practice, another osteopath may be able to give an opinion. Most will be pleased to help you.

If you are not satisfied that your concerns have been properly dealt with, or if you want further advice, you should contact our Regulation Department on 020 7357 6655 x224 or email regulation@osteopathy.org.uk. We are here to help you with any concern or complaint you may have about an osteopath.

There is also further information in our leaflet How to complain about an osteopath.

If you have a concern or an enquiry about an osteopath, or about treatment you have received, please call us on 020 7357 6655 x224, or send us your enquiry using our online form.

What we can investigate

We have a legal responsibility to look at complaints if:

• an osteopath’s behaviour falls below the standards set out in our Osteopathic Practice Standards
• an osteopath is guilty of professional incompetence because their work fails to meet the standards we set in our Osteopathic Practice Standards
• an osteopath is convicted of a crime – if this happens, we will look at the conviction to decide whether it affects the osteopath’s ability to practise
• an osteopath’s physical or mental condition is seriously affecting their work – if an osteopath has a health problem, we will consider how it affects their ability to practise.

What we can't investigate

Our threshold criteria for unacceptable professional conduct explains the types of concerns we cannot investigate, including (but not limited to): 

• Concerns about fees or the costs of treatment
• Concerns made anonymously and which cannot be verified by others
• Concerns that relate to employment disputes
• Concerns that relate to contractual disputes including arrangements for the lease of premises and facilities
• Concerns about an osteopath's personal life (for example those related to divorce proceedings) unless the concerns are about behaviour that is abusive, violent or which could negatively affect the reputation of the profession
• Concerns that do not have implications for public protection

Read our threshold criteria to find out more

How long it takes to investigate a concern

When we receive a concern, and once we are satisfied that we have enough detail, an independent osteopath (known as a 'screener') will review the concern to consider whether the GOsC can investigate. This can typically take up to 8 weeks. 

If we can, then cases are considered by the Investigating Committee within 26 weeks of the GOsC first receiving the concern. 

The committee will decide whether all the information collected supports the concern and whether the allegations would amount to any of the following:

• unacceptable professional conduct
• professional incompetence
• a criminal conviction in the UK that is relevant to the work of the osteopath
• a medical condition that seriously affects the osteopath’s ability to practise.

If the concern relates to an osteopath's professional conduct or competence, or a criminal conviction that is relevant to their work, it will be heard by the Professional Conduct Committee at a hearing. It can typically take a further 24 weeks until a decision is made about the result of an investigation.

Find out more about what happens and how long our concerns process usually takes

Getting support during an investigation

Patients, osteopaths and witnesses involved in an investigation can access our free Independent Support Service run by the charity Victim Support. This service offers a confidential safe space for people to discuss their feelings about the process and talk through what might be expected of them at each stage.

Find out more about the Independent Support Service

Fitness to practise

The term fitness to practise means that osteopaths should have the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their job effectively, they should have the health and character to practise safely and competently, and they can be trusted to act legally and responsibly.

Our Regulation Department is responsible for establishing and maintaining the standards of professional competence and conduct. It handles complaints about the fitness to practise of osteopaths on the Register, which can lead to a hearing before the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC).

Our Fitness to Practise reports, published annually, includes details of the decisions made by the PCC and any sanctions applied. When the committee investigates an allegation and decides that it is not well-founded, the osteopath can ask for this to be recorded in the next Fitness to Practise report. Find out more about fitness to practise.