NICE (The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines recommend GPs to refer patients with lower back pain for manual therapy (which includes Osteopathy).

Osteopaths are asking all members of the public to speak with their GPs or lobby their MPs to get NHS funded Osteopathy in their area. The British Osteopathic Association commissioned a report that showed in 2009/2010 a mere 18% of all Primary Care Trusts (PCT) paid treatment, in England. The study, carried out earlier this year, was based on responses from 126 of the 147 PCTs in England.

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Out of the 7 million osteopathic treatments carried out annually, only 9000 patients were treated with Osteopathy on the NHS. There were huge differences parts of the county where the NHS funded osteopathic care – some PCTs funded over 1000 osteopathic patients!

The BOA’s report concluded many PCTs were not fully implementing the current NICE guidelines, especially for lower back pain.

The BOA recommended PCTs to “make more effort to ensure the implementation of NICE guideline to allow a full range of effective treatments to be available to patients as recommended by NICE“.

Due to the planned overhaul of the NHS, including a shift to GP commissioning, the BOA recommended “Osteopathy, an evidence based and cost-effective treatment, should be considered as part of any new service developments“.

If you are a patient at The Osteocare Clinic and want to help convince Bromley PCT to fund your osteopathic care, please get in contact us

Posted by Mr. Trishul Vadi (Principal Osteopath in West Wickham, Beckenham, Bromley & South East London) on Monday, November 8th, 2010