NEW
ERA FOR OSTEOPATHY [9th May 2000]
" PATIENT
PROTECTION PARAMOUNT "
  On
9 May 2000, important new safeguards to protect the public will be brought
in with the commencement of the key section of the Osteopaths Act. From this
date it will be a criminal offence for anyone to use the title ‘osteopath’
unless they are registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).
‘This marks the establishment of osteopathy as
the first among the complementary forms of medicine to achieve statutory regulation
and it means an end to confusion and uncertainty for patients’, says GOsC
Registrar Madeleine Craggs. ‘Instead of a plethora of different post nominal
letters, the title “osteopath” itself now stands for a practitioner whose
competence has been assessed, who is subject to strict ethical codes and disciplinary
procedures and who carries an appropriate level of professional insurance.’
All currently practising osteopaths have had the previous two years in which
to apply for registration. To be accepted on to the Statutory Register, they
have each had to demonstrate their clinical safety and competence through
a lengthy and rigorous procedure. ‘No other profession in the history of healthcare,
I believe, has ever undergone such a rigorous process of registration’, says
Madeleine Craggs. ‘It places osteopathy at the forefront of self-regulation,
providing patients with real safeguards’.
In effect, in registering osteopaths the GOsC has carried out a revalidation
of every practitioner and is leading the way in what is now being advocated
for other regulatory bodies in the healthcare field.
GOsC Chairman Simon Fielding comments: ‘Osteopaths have in the past been regarded
by some as being on the fringes of medicine and they have fought long and
hard for their current standing. Osteopaths can now take pride in leading
the way in patient protection and self-regulation in this country’.
Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, has written to the GOsC Chairman
to say:
…. ‘The recent unfortunate events which have dented public confidence in healthcare
professions make it all the more important that professional regulatory bodies
such as the General Osteopathic Council spare no effort to put the professional
competence of their registered members beyond doubt.
For the General Osteopathic Council, this translates
most immediately into how they decide which practitioners are fit to be admitted
to the Register at the outset. The Council’s decision to use a professional
profile and portfolio to assess the competence of all applicants for registration
will go a long way to give the public the assurance they deserve.’….
Background to legislation
Before 9 May 2000, any person could in theory call themselves an osteopath
and treat patients without any proper training or qualifications. For this
reason, in order to protect the public from incompetent or unqualified practitioners,
osteopaths have for over 70 years campaigned for a statutory register to be
set up similar to that run by the General Medical Council for doctors.
Frustrated in their early attempts, in 1935 they formed the first of a number
of voluntary registers. The voluntary system worked well but suffered
from an inevitable weakness in that any practitioner ‘struck off’ for malpractice
could continue to practise as an osteopath. Similarly, standards of competence
or conduct could not be enforced on practitioners who chose not to join a
voluntary register.
The new statutory scheme originated from a King’s Fund report of 1991. This
concluded that there was a case for statutory regulation and that there would
be significant benefits to the public. The Osteopaths Act reached the Statute
Books in July 1993. Since then, sections of the legislation have been commenced
in stages, to set up the General Osteopathic Council, to open its Statutory
Register and begin the registration process and now, on 9 May, to restrict
the title ‘osteopath’ so that it can be used only by those listed on the Register.
This is a milestone in the history of the profession.
Registration process
Instead of relying simply on past qualifications perhaps gained many years
before, the GOsC decided to assess the clinical safety and competence of all
applicants for registration against a published Standard of Proficiency. This
assessment has been carried out using a 47 page ‘Professional Profile and
Portfolio’ document which covers an individual’s work and practice and assesses
their clinical competence, management of a patient and osteopathic skills.
This has been an arduous undertaking for applicants, taking up to 40 hours
to complete.
If further clarification about any of the responses was needed, the applicant
was invited to an interview. Should this still fail to satisfy the panel of
the applicant’s competence, he or she was required to provide practical evidence
in a clinical setting. By 9 May, almost 2000 osteopaths will have been registered.
A further 800 who submitted completed applications by the deadline will be
evaluated as quickly as possible.
Accreditation of Education Institutions
In addition to registering currently practising osteopaths, a further major
task for the GOsC over the past two years has been to evaluate courses of
professional education in osteopathy. The first courses to be accredited will
shortly be announced by the Privy Council.
The qualification awarded to those who successfully complete a course accredited
by the GOsC will be deemed a ‘Recognised Qualification’ and will entitle a
graduate to register and use the title ‘osteopath’. After 9 May 2000, the
only route on to the Statutory Register will be by gaining a Recognised Qualification.
 "
6 Million Consultations a Year "
Back Pain has reached epidemic proportions and the majority of people will suffer from
it at some stage in their lives.
This is underlined by a survey carried out by osteopaths themselves which
showed that almost half of the 6 million consultations they give each year
are prompted by low back pain.
NEW
GUIDELINES ON BACK PAIN WELCOMED [30th March 2000]
The Department of Health and the Health and Safety
Executive today welcomed the publication of a Faculty of Occupational Medicine
report and new occupational health guidelines for the management of back pain.
The guidelines, which are based on the best research evidence available, provide
doctors, nurses and other health professionals with clear practical advice
on how to manage back pain in the workplace. They are particularly welcome
at a time when the joint HSE/DH Healthy Workplace Initiative is focusing on
the problem of back pain in the workplace.
In welcoming the guidelines, Sandra Caldwell, HSE's Director of Health, said,
"Back pain is a major challenge in the workplace and an estimated 1/2
million workers consider they have a work related musculo-skeletal injury
affecting their back. Nearly 5 million working days are lost each year due
to these injuries. The evidence presented in developing the new guidelines
confirms that there is no reason why we should accept this as inevitable."
Dr David Snashall, Chief Medical Adviser to HSE, emphasised the need for health
professionals, employers and employees to have a consistent response to back
pain incidents.
"The guidelines deliver the message clearly and concisely to everyone
involved," he said. For the Department of Health, Dr Olivia Carlton of
the Healthy Workplaces Team said: "The guidelines provide another
valuable strand to the holistic approach we are encouraging through the Healthy
Workplace Initiative which carries the message that 'Improving health is everybody's
business'. The first major strand of the initiative, 'Back in Work', aims
to minimise the problem of back pain by identifying and promoting current
examples of good practice in all aspects of managing back pain at work. 'Back
in Work' is also contributing to building networks enabling easier access
to information and help."
Why Work
is a Pain... 2004
Four out of five people suffer
from work related back pain, according to a new survey.
A poll of 1,000 public service workers by the
country's biggest union Unison, found that ambulance workers experience most
back problem, followed by care workers, nurses, porters and domestic staff.
No Surprise If You Feel Like
Death In The Morning [2004 ]
Pubs and Clubs focus of new
hard hitting campaign
Smokers will be reminded that cigarettes and
cigarette smoke contain arsenic, cyanide and more than 4000 other toxins in
the latest phase in England's largest ever tobacco education campaign 'Don't
Give Up Giving Up'.
Hard hitting posters will hit pubs and clubs
tomorrow (1st March 2000). The posters list the toxins and say it is `no surprise
if you really do feel like death in the morning'. They will be placed in the
toilets of 15,000 pubs and clubs across the country, encouraging smokers to
kick the habit.
A new series of radio and press adverts will
also focus on how to take your mind off the cravings for a cigarette. One
radio advert, for example, suggests throwing out the car cigarette lighter
to break the routine of smoking at the wheel. The adverts will run up to,
and after, No Smoking Day on 8th March.
Smokers wanting confidential information and
support to give up smoking can call the campaign phone line on 0800 169 0
169 or visit the campaign website at www.givingupsmoking.co.uk
   
[31st January 2000]
Yvette
Cooper announces "Back in work pilot projects"
Yvette Cooper, Public Health
Minister, today announced the pilot projects receiving funding
from the £700,000 joint Department of Health and Health and Safety Executive
'Back in Work' initiative.
More than 330 organisations from around the country applied for funding
from the Back in Work scheme which aims to address the problem of back
pain in the workplace. Back pain is the largest single cause of ill
health at work and sickness absence.
Ms Cooper said: "More than 11 million working days are lost each
year due to back pain and this painful condition costs industry £5 billion.
Through the 'Back in Work' projects, businesses and organisations will
promote good practice to raise awareness and encourage people to take
preventative action as well as providing early access to assessment
and treatment and rehabilitation. The workplace
is a key place for improving the health of the worst off
in society and reducing health inequalities.
"I am delighted to today announce the 19 organisations that have
are been awarded funding to develop a wide range of innovative and exciting
projects to combat this issue. Results from these projects will be used
to develop good practice for all businesses to use to improve the health
of their workers.
"The Back in Work scheme has received positive support from the
TUC, CBI and individual employers throughout the country and from today
companies will be able to share ideas on reducing back pain in the work
place through our new website network. The National Back in Work Network
website will be an excellent opportunity for people to discuss workplace
heath issues on-line."
Lord Whitty, Health and Safety Minister at DETR, added: "As Minister
responsible for the Government's drive to Revitalise Health & Safety,
I fully support these pilot projects. 'Back in Work' will highlight
the misery of back pain, its huge cost to society and how it can be
prevented. Good employers already recognise that preventing workplace
injury is only part of their wider responsibility to ensure a healthy
workforce - preventing workplace ill-health is also vital.
"The Health & Safety Executive
estimates that workplace ill-health and accidents cost society up to
£18 billion every year. I hope that these independently-evaluated projects
will win over other employers and persuade them to adopt existing best
practice."
Projects include staff with musculo-skeletal problems at St Helens Metropolitan
Borough Council going 'back to school' to be taught relaxation, posture
and exercise techniques; plus a Loughborough firm is developing a comprehensive
back injury management programme to be used by large and small companies.
Workers in the
clothing industry have historically suffered a high level
of work related back problems and through its project, the Knitting,
Dyeing and Lace Industries' Joint Health and Safety Committee aims to
raise awareness, develop training and risk assessment programmes to
tackle the issue. |
|
Back Pain is
major cause of sickness absence .......
Tessa Jowell, Minister for Public
Health today announced the publication of "The Prevalence of Back Pain
in Great Britain, 1998", the Department of Health's (DoH)
Statistical Bulletin.
Ms Jowell said: "The survey illustrates the scale of the problem. It
shows that 40% of adults suffered from back pain in previous twelve months,
15% of whom were in pain for the whole year. The forthcoming public
health White Paper will strengthen ongoing Government programmes such as 'Back
in Work' to tackle this crippling problem.
"As part of the Healthy Workplace Initiative, 'Back in Work',
aims to encourage companies to adopt back-friendly policies. I am therefore
delighted that 'Back in Work' has been so positively received by industry.
Over 300 business organisations have registered their interest in the programme.
Short listed projects will have the chance of receiving a grant of up to £50,000.
"This is not just a problem for older people. The new survey shows
that 5% of people in employment aged between 16 - 64 had taken time off
work in the previous month due to back pain. It also highlights the widening
gap between the social classes in terms of suffering. While 37%
of professional, intermediate and skilled non-manual workers reported back
pain, 44% of skilled, partly skilled and unskilled workers were sufferers.
"These figures underline the huge costs to industry and damage to human
health back pain causes. Current evidence shows that around 1.1 million working days and an estimated
£5 billion are lost to industry every year. Together with my colleague, Alan
Meale, Minister for Health and Safety, my aim is to continue to build on the
partnerships, which reflect our view that improving health is Everybody's
business.
Key points from the bulletin
- In
1998, 40% of adults said they had suffered from back pain lasting more than
one day in the previous 12 months.
15% of back pain
sufferers said they were in pain throughout the year.
- early 40% of back
pain sufferers consulted a GP for help; 10% visited an osteopath.
- A third of back pain
sufferers said that back pain had restricted their activity in the four
weeks before the interview.
- Women and older people
were more likely to report that back pain had restricted their activity
than men and younger people.
- 5% of back pain sufferers
aged 16 to 64 in employment had taken time off work during the previous
month because of back pain.
- 13% of back pain
sufferers aged 16 to 64 who said that they were unemployed in the previous
month mentioned back pain as a reason why they were not in work.
Source: National
Statistics Omnibus survey: June 1998] |
National
Back Pain Week
  "Women
at work and in the Home"
Osteopaths undertake nearly six million patient consultations a year and more
than half of those are with women. When you consider the demands women
have, it is hardly surprising. During National Back Care Week osteopaths
around the country will be helping women to understand how they can keep their
backs in shape.
Many backs are strained by heavy handbags, posture changes during and after
pregnancy, carrying children and even coping with wayward shopping trolleys
in supermarkets.
Osteopaths join with Back Care, the national association for healthy backs,
in the belief that an understanding of how the spine and the body framework
functions, can establish a basis of good back care and help avoid problems.
Osteopaths are skilled at treating pain caused by straining the body but can
also advise on preventative treatment. During Back Care week osteopaths
will be giving talks, holding patient evenings, and taking stands in shopping
centres to demonstrate the importance of back awareness and preventive Back
Care.
Osteopaths focus on the musculo-skeletal system (the bones, joints, muscles,
ligaments and connective tissue). They will diagnose and treat faults
which occur because of injury, stress or perhaps disease, to allow the body
to return to efficient, normal function. With their highly trained sense
of touch, osteopaths use manual techniques both to discover underlying causes
of pain and to carry our treatment. Its main strength, however, lies
in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional
and postural standpoint and the way that treatment is planned to suit the
needs of the individual patient.
See Back Care Evenings and Advice
Sheets.
|
GENERAL
OSTEOPATHIC COUNCIL
PATRON: HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES
" PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN OSTEOPATHIC CARE "
Regulation of Osteopathy
In May 2000, the General Osteopathic Council, responsible for regulating,
developing and promoting the profession in the UK, opens its Statutory Register
of osteopaths, which takes over from previous voluntary registration schemes.
The event is the key stage in the implementation of the Osteopath Act 1993.
The Statutory Register is the essential element by which the General Osteopathic
Council will regulate the profession and protect the public from unqualified
practitioners. At present, the law allows anyone to call himself or herself
an osteopath and to set up in practice. Now that the Statutory Register is
open, existing osteopaths have a two-year period in which to apply and to
satisfy the Registrar through a detailed evaluation process that they are
engaged in the safe and competent practice of osteopathy. When the Osteopaths
Act is brought fully into force in May 2000, it will be a criminal offence
for any practitioners not on the Statutory Register to call themselves osteopaths
and to practise as such.
Osteopathy is the first complementary system of medicine to be statutorily
recognised in the UK. Its General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) is the first
self-regulating, statutory body within the arena of healthcare to be established
for almost forty years.
The GOsC will regulate osteopaths along similar lines to the General Medical
Council and the General Dental Council, ensuring that there is an effective
complaints procedure and that all practitioners meet the same high standards
of training and clinical practice, are properly insured and work within a
professional code of practice.
Information note for Patients
In May 2000, the General Osteopathic
Council (GOsC) will open its statutory register. Responsible under the Osteopaths
Act 1993 for regulating, developing and promoting the profession in the UK.
Osteopaths are regulated along similar lines to medicine and dentistry. The
benefits to patients will be:
- an assurance
that in future all practitioners will be trained to a high standard of
competence
- a guarantee
that appropriate standards of professional conduct will be enforceable
by a single statutory governing body
- the establishment
of a suitable mechanism for dealing with complaints
- a guarantee
that all osteopaths are fully covered by professional indemnity insurance
What
is Osteopathy ?
Osteopathy focuses on the musculo-skeletal system (the bones, joints,
muscles, ligaments and connective tissue) and the way this inter-relates with
the functioning of the body as a whole. It combines a scientific knowledge
of the orthodox medical sciences with specialised methods of evaluation and
manual treatment. [References]
Britain's 3000 osteopaths give over seven million patient consultations a
year. They diagnose and treat faults, which occur because of injury,
stress or perhaps disease, to enable the musculo-skeletal system to work as
efficiently as possible, allowing the body to restore itself to normal function.
After treatment, an osteopath may advise on maintaining a realistic level
of health through remedial exercise or diet and lifestyle changes.
Background
" Most patients
with low back pain have not recovered after a year"
It is widely believed that 90% of
episodes of low back pain seen in general practice resolve within four weeks.
This was examined by Croft et al (p 1356 BMJ) in a large population based
study of the outcome of episodes of low back pain seen in general practice
with respect to both consultation behaviour and self reported pain and disability.
While 90% of patients stopped seeing their doctor about the symptoms within
three months, only 25% were completely free of pain and disability after one
year. Longer duration of symptoms before the consultation was associated
with a poorer outcome. The authors suggest that low back pain should
be viewed as a chronic condition and that effective treatment should be started
early. [BMJ 1998;316:1356-1359
( 2 May )]
Osteopaths' Snapshot Survey Results 1998
Osteopaths now undertake six million patient consultations a year. This
represents an increase of a million patient consultations a year since a similar
survey in 1994 (a 20% increase ). Figures were revealed by the Osteopathic
Information Service (OIS ) in its 1997 Snapshot Survey.
The data showed a slight fall in new patients, with an overall rise in the
number of consultations. This suggests increased patient satisfaction, with
more patients returning for further treatments.
Gender ratios
are beginning to level out with a 2% increase in male patients.
However, 62% of patients are still in the age range 30 - 59. This
is likely to reflect the fact that many patients are losing fitness at this
time in their lives and, when they take exercise, are more prone to injury.
While there is now greater health awareness, this appears not to be translated
into lifestyle changes and preventative action. Back pain is still the
most commonly presented complaint with 47% of patients complaining of
symptoms affecting the lower back and 32% of symptoms affecting the neck.
It is likely that these problems are compounded by bad posture and the largely
sedentary lifestyle that people lead.
The onset of symptoms is ascribed by patients to a variety of causes.
21% consider the onset was work related; 10% attribute it to sporting
activity; and 10% relate symptoms to incidents within the home. These
figures suggest that there is still a considerable educational and preventative
job to do, particularly within the workplace. [References]
A new question in the 1997 survey was how patients funded their treatment.
The increasing recognition of osteopathy in private health insurance policies
meant that 7% of patients were able to fund their treatment in this way. NHS funded patients represented 3% of those seen but the majority (90%) of patients
still pay for treatment themselves. |
.... Osteopathy celebrates 10 Years of Regulated practice in 2009 (The Osteopaths Act 1994)
Osteopathy Celebrates 10 Years of Statutory Regulated Practice 2008
July 2006: Access
Point Internet Services by "wifi" are
now available in the practice for 'internet and email use while you wait'.....
Alex and Philip to marry in Italy
A big welcome to our new Osteopathic colleague Louise Carruthers, who joins the practice in July 2008
Patient Survey November 2006 
"
access for all "
