Helping the NHS
Around one third of adults in the UK experience musculoskeletal pain, which is continuing to grow. With the ongoing pressures on the NHS workforce, many patients are left waiting for diagnoses or treatment, impacting their health, wellbeing and often, their ability to work. To help alleviate this, the College is committed to ensuring that Osteopathy is recognised as a viable treatment option that is better integrated into the NHS.
Osteopathy was formally recognised as an Allied Health Profession in 2017, however it is still heavily underrepresented within the NHS, with around 95% of Osteopaths working privately. This is in part due to an historical lack of opportunities for Osteopaths to learn about and gain experience in NHS settings, and from a lack of shared knowledge between the osteopathic profession and other healthcare professionals linked to the NHS.
Our funders and supporters enable us to keep developing our work to test new innovations in teaching, training and treatment, ensuring that the field of Osteopathy is well-placed to respond to the challenges and needs of the NHS.
We are currently seeking support to pilot a new project testing new shared training and clinical hours, between undergraduate Osteopaths, Medics and other related health professionals. This is a vital step forward to ensure that Osteopathy plays an important role in the future of the NHS.
