Next steps for the CPD scheme

Our Head of Research and Data Insight, Stacey Clift, explains the feedback we received to the consultation on the CPD scheme at the beginning of 2025, and the work the GOsC are doing now on the scheme as a result of your feedback.

Every year since we introduced the new CPD scheme in 2019, we’ve asked osteopaths about how they were getting on with the scheme. Our most recent CPD survey showed us that parts of the scheme needed to be made a little more manageable, with many telling us the Peer Discussion Review (PDR) template is complicated and time-consuming, and that guidance for the scheme is repetitive.

So we decided to launch a public consultation on changes we thought we could make to the scheme to make it easier for osteopaths to complete. We asked for views on two specific areas:

1. Peer Discussion Review template – making this more accessible, easier to use and quicker for osteopaths to complete.
2. Strengthening our guidance on the scheme in the following key areas:

• • Boundaries and equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB)
  • ‘Range of practice’ to make clear that osteopaths must be up to date and competent when using adjunctive therapies
  • How artificial intelligence can be used in the CPD process, and some of the ways it must not be used
  • Accessibility: making the guidance easier to use
  • Community: encouraging opportunities to actively engage with colleagues

Wide range of views

Firstly, I want to say thank you to everyone who shared their views with us as part of this consultation. Your feedback has really helped us understand the different opinions and needs of the profession when it comes to meeting the requirements of the CPD scheme.

While most of those who responded to the consultation welcomed these proposed changes, we found there were two groups who held very different views. Some thought that these changes would mean there would be even more things to do as part of the CPD scheme and that it will therefore take osteopaths longer to complete it. Others thought our attempts to simplify the scheme would actually take away its most important component of reflection, making the scheme a tick box activity.

Inclusion and professional boundaries

It was interesting to see the different views about whether we should introduce equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and professional boundaries, as two mandatory elements of the scheme. Some supported this proposal and suggested we go even further to add other mandatory elements such as safeguarding, First Aid, adjunctive therapies, GPDR and concerns and complaints.

However, there were others who, while they thought this was a good idea, wanted the GOsC to commit to providing more resources and an evidence base as part of our introduction of these new elements, to make it very clear to the profession why this is important for patients, and how osteopaths can meet the requirements. There was also another group who shared their concerns that making these elements mandatory would have the opposite effect, effectively forcing the issue rather than showing osteopaths why these are important and necessary.

Other changes to the guidance and template

As well as the more specific areas mentioned above, we received views from osteopaths who felt that both the consultation version of the CPD Guidance and the Peer Discussion Review documents could be improved. Suggestions included:

• Keeping the guidance simple, improving the flow of the document in a more practical ‘conversational’ style and reducing areas of repetition
• Being clearer about the key definitions used and which elements were mandatory
• Strengthening and emphasising the importance of reflective practice
• Improving clarity in specific areas such as artificial intelligence, verification and assurance and CPD for osteopaths in non-clinical roles
• Making sure the template is easily accessible across different software and formats and can be easily shared with peers

So, what happens next

The feedback we received reminded us that different people have different learning styles and levels of experience garnered from being in various different stages of their osteopathic career, all of which have an impact on how they meet the requirements of the scheme. This means a ‘one-size’ fits all approach won’t work.

So, we are working on a suite of materials that will offer osteopaths flexibility and a layered approach to meeting the requirements of the scheme. This means there will be three versions of the CPD scheme guidance – a quick read version for those who just need a quick refresher or for those getting started with the scheme, an ‘intermediate’ version for those who prefer structured guidance with context, and a detailed comprehensive version for those that value in-depth explanation with extended narrative.

There will also be three different options for the PDR template, and each will provide different levels of depth and detail, so you can decide which works best for you.

We’re hoping this allows osteopaths to choose the resources that best meet their learning style, because we want to be as flexible as possible when supporting the profession to meet the requirements of the CPD scheme.

We also want to be clear that osteopaths are strongly encouraged to carry out CPD relating to the areas of professional boundaries and EDIB, and we hope that by also developing a range of workbooks, videos, infographics and podcast episodes, we can provide further learning support to those who may want or need it.

How you can get involved

If these resources are to be truly accessible to the profession and meaningful to osteopaths’ practice, we believe that they must be designed with the help of osteopaths. In 2026 we hope to pilot these resources with osteopaths, so if you want to get involved in testing these resources and gaining CPD hours in the process, please get in touch with us at info@osteopathy.org.uk

If you’d like to be kept informed about groups and webinars we will be providing on these suite of resources, keep an eye on our monthly ebulletin which we send out by email to all osteopaths.