Osteopathy FAQs & Facts
FAQs
- Who visits an Osteopath?
In the UK, an estimated 24,000 patients consult osteopaths every working day. This amounts to nearly seven million consultations a year. Osteopaths are providing over 850,000 more consultations a year since 1997 and over 1.7 million more than in 1994.
- Do Osteopaths have any formal training?
Training to be an osteopath takes 4 years full-time or 5 years part-time. There are 8 osteopathic education institutions awarding qualifications recognised by the General Osteopathic Council.
- Can you see an Osteopath through the NHS?
Currently access to osteopathy on the NHS is limited, but support continues to grow as commissioning authorities recognise the benefits of providing osteopathy to patients. GPs are permitted to refer patients to osteopaths as statutory regulated professionals. The British Medical Association (BMA) also provides guidance to GPs on referral. There has been an increase in patients referred by or with the knowledge of a GP or Consultant from 22% to 26%, but the majority are still ’self-referred’. The percentage of people who have heard of osteopathy and have actually received treatment has increased 25% over 1996.
Some Facts
- The Prince of Wales is Patron of the General Osteopathic Council.
- Osteopathy became the first complementary medicine profession to be accorded statutory recognition, under the 1993 Osteopaths Act.
- The cost to the N.H.S. each year treating back pain is about £700 million.
This information has been researched from a number of public information sources, many of which are listed on our links page