UK Osteopathic Associations
UK Osteopathic Associations are professional associations that many UK osteopaths belong to and that can help provide professional support and promotion for their members. There are two main osteopathic associations; these are the General Osteopathic Council and the British Osteopathic Association.
The British Osteopathic Association
The British Osteopathic Association as it is today was a combination of the Guild of Osteopaths, British Osteopathic Association, and Osteopathic Association of Great Britain that joined forces in April 1998. It is the largest UK osteopathic association and has over 60 years of experience. Each of the different associations came together with their own missions which have created a combined mission for the British Osteopathic Association. The original BOA aimed “to uphold the professional ethical standards and to provide the public with a list of trained and qualified osteopaths, to advance osteopathy and to maintain a professional spirit.” The Osteopathic Association of Great Britain aimed to “further their academic standards, to meet on social occasions and to help raise funds for osteopathy.” The Guild of Osteopaths aimed to unify osteopaths worldwide and provide educational and professional services. There are many benefits to belonging to such an organisation but the British Osteopathic Association website sums it up as follows: “We support, care, represent, advise, protect our members”.
General Osteopathic Council
Another UK Osteopathic association is the General Osteopathic Council which was established by the Osteopathic Act of 1993 to “provide for the regulation of the profession of osteopathy”. According to the GOsC’s website it aims to “protect patients, develop the osteopathic profession and promote an understanding of osteopathic care.” It is responsible for setting standards for osteopathy practice and for ensuring the quality of education for osteopathy. In order to practice osteopathy in the UK it is a legal necessity that the osteopath is registered with the GOsC. Practicing without this registration is illegal.
Other Information Regarding UK Osteopathic Associations
The British Osteopathic Association and General Osteopathic Council are the two most important UK osteopathic associations. The General Osteopathic Council is a legal association to which all osteopaths practicing in the UK have to belong and graduates in osteopathy need to register with them before they begin practicing. The British Osteopathic Association, on the other hand, is an independent association that represents osteopaths. These associations regulate the osteopathic profession, ensure quality education for osteopaths, publish materials, promote osteopaths and osteopathy, and fulfil many other functions both with osteopaths themselves as well as assisting their patients where necessary.
I am an active and contributing member of the GOsC and the BOA.
The Osteopathic Sports Care Association
The Osteopathic Sports Care Association, or OSCA as its known as, is a member’s body which provides information for osteopaths in sports care. It is run by my colleague, Jonathan Betser, who is a leading sports osteopath in Hertfordshire.
I am an active member of OSCA and support its principles and strategy. |
