The Council

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales

The General Council comprises:

Prof. Adrian Eddleston a Lay Member, is Chairman of the Council. The Council is supported by a team of staff, headed by the Chief Executive and Registrar, Evlynne Gilvarry.

The Council focuses on strategic development and major policy issues whilst its Committees concentrate on implementing these policies, within the framework decided by Council, and on exercising delegated authority for some statutory and regulatory roles. Read more about the roles and responsibilities of the Council.

The Osteopaths Act 1993 has established four Committees with specific legal functions. The Council itself has established other Committees to help discharge its functions.

Draft Statutory Committees Constitution Order

From 1 April 2009, the constitution of the four statutory committees (Education, Investigating, Professional Conduct and Health) will be renewed. An Order setting out the composition, terms of office and criteria for disqualification, suspension or removal of committee members has been drawn up, in conjunction with the Department of Health.

The GOsC is now consulting on this draft Constitution Order and you are invited to give us your comments. An online questionnaire will be available here shortly to facilitate feedback.

Please note that the consultation will close on 5 February 2009.

New Fitness to Practise Rules.

New rules governing the procedure of the Fitness to Practise committees (Investigating, Professional Conduct and Health) have been drawn up and the GOsC is now consulting on them. Your feedback on the new Fitness to Practise Rules is welcome and an online questionnaire will be available here shortly to aid your response.

Please note that the Department of Health will be involved at a later stage in reviewing the procedure Rules, so that the final format of the new Rules is likely to be different to that of the consultation document.

Sending us your response

You can use our online questionnaire to send us your response.  Type your comments into the boxes beneath each question and, when you have completed the form, click on the ‘Submit’ button at the end and your response will be emailed to the GOsC at rules@osteopathy.org.uk.

In order to download and complete the questionnaires you will need Adobe Reader on your computer.  Click here to download a free copy of Adobe Reader software.

Please note that the consultation will close on 5 February 2009.