Get involved in our work

We are looking for osteopathic patients to join our Patient Involvement Forum and to take part in any of a range of activities such as focus groups, surveys and consultations.

We are the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and we regulate the practice of osteopathy in the UK. By law osteopaths must be registered with us in order to practise in the UK.

We work with the public, osteopaths and osteopathic organisations to promote patient safety by registering qualified professionals and setting, maintaining and developing standards of osteopathic practice and conduct.

At the General Osteopathic Council we want patients to be actively involved in the work we do.

A major priority for us is to listen and learn from osteopathic patients to better understand the patient perspective on:

• The education and training of osteopaths.
• The standards osteopaths need to meet.
• How we regulate osteopaths.

Working in partnership

We want to work in partnership with patients and osteopaths to make sure that we put patients’ safety, wellbeing and views at the heart of everything we do. We want to ensure we do everything we can to maximise the opportunities patients have to share their views with us and with the profession.

Our aim is to ensure that we understand your needs, views and concerns so that we can improve our patient information and our guidance for osteopaths so that it meets these needs. By sharing your insight and your personal perspective, you can help us to do that.

Join our Patient Involvement Forum

The following information is available in Welsh: Cymryd rhan yn ein gwaith

We are looking for osteopathic patients to join our Patient Involvement Forum and to take part in any of a range of activities such as focus groups, surveys and consultations so we can hear your views.

If you are interested and willing to use your unique experience to help make a difference to future osteopathic care, we would love to hear from you. Please complete our sign up form to register your interest.

We can provide training and the support necessary for you to participate fully to help inform our work and enhance your skills (if you feel that would be helpful), and these skills might be useful to you in other contexts and other parts of your life or work.

Whether you've got lots of time to spare or only a little, and whatever your experience of osteopathic care, we hope you'll find an opportunity that interests you. Our Patient Involvement Forum charter sets out in a bit more detail about what being a member of the patient involvement forum is about.

Getting involved with the GOsC as a patient has actually taught me a lot. I have shared my experiences and tried to help implement changes and improvements, I have felt valued throughout and that’s a great feeling. I have improved my communication skills and this has boosted my confidence and self-esteem. I feel that I have overcome my personal health issues from the satisfaction I felt by sharing my story.

- Gul Begum (pictured above), osteopathic patient representative

Expenses

Currently, activities are taking place online and will be offered out to all Patient Involvement Forum members on a case by case basis. For each activity, members will be rewarded for their time as a thank you for taking part. If face-to-face meetings or focus groups are scheduled in the future, we will also provide reasonable expenses.
If you are interested in joining the forum, please complete our online sign-up form.

Any questions?

If you have any questions or you would like to speak to us about joining the Patient Involvement Forum, please email Rachel Heatley or Paul Stern at: patientengagement@osteopathy.org.uk