General Osteopathic Council Welcomes EU Plans On Patients' Rights

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 06 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The European Commission announced proposals this week that will give patients rights to access healthcare treatment elsewhere in Europe. This package, as part of a renewed social agenda, consists of a draft directive on cross-border healthcare and measures to promote cooperation between Member States. The intention is to provide legal certainty for patients, Member States and healthcare providers, following a series of European Court of Justice rulings on this issue.

Commenting, Evlynne Gilvarry, Chief Executive & Registrar of the General Osteopathic Council - the UK regulator of osteopaths - said:

"A clear framework for cross-border care is welcome, but this should not be at the expense of patient safety. As both patients and healthcare professionals move increasingly within the EU, there is a need for greater patient protection through proper regulation and high standards of treatment.

"Currently osteopathy is regulated in only four EU Member States - Finland, France, Malta and the United Kingdom. For this reason, national registers and competent authorities came together as the Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe in 2005 to develop a consensus on standards of osteopathic education, training and practice with the aim of protecting patients and enhancing confidence in osteopathic professionals.

"Despite these efforts, in any future law we will be calling for:

- a Europe-wide approach to communication and information sharing (such as registration and fitness to practise data) between Member States, and

- regulatory mechanisms across Europe to ensure standards of osteopathic care for patients."

The draft directive on cross-border healthcare will now go through the EU's legislative process, and it is expected to take at least two years before becoming law.

General Osteopathic Council

The General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) has a statutory duty to regulate the practice of osteopathic care in the UK. Osteopaths must be registered with the GOsC in order to practise in the UK.

We work with the public and profession to protect and promote patient safety through effective regulation of osteopaths in the UK by:

- registering qualified professionals
-setting standards of osteopathic practice and conduct
- assuring the quality of osteopathic education
- ensuring continuing professional development
- helping patients with concerns or complaints about an osteopath.

The 2008 Statutory Register of Osteopaths provides a geographical index of all practising osteopaths, and is available to healthcare providers and the general public. The Register is available online at: http://www.osteopathy.org.uk

Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe

The Forum for Osteopathic Regulation in Europe brings together national Registers and Competent Authorities for osteopathy across Europe. Its mission is to protect patients, promote confidence in osteopathic professionals and be at the forefront of healthcare regulation. As different countries are currently at various stages of recognition / regulation, the work of FORE is fundamental if the osteopathic profession is to successfully face increasing challenges in Europe. One such challenge is the increasing mobility of professionals and patients across Europe. FORE welcomes increased freedom of movement, but this should not be at the expense of patient safety and quality of care.

For this reason FORE is working to improve information exchange and develop a consensus on standards of osteopathic education, training and practice across Europe.

For more information visit: http://www.forewards.eu

http://www.osteopathy.org.uk

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