Britain Establishes General Chiropractic Council

The establishment of the first General Chiropractic Council (GCC) was announced by Baroness Cumberlege, junior health minister of Britain. The General Chiropractic Council, which is to be established under the Chiropractors Act 1994, will be responsible for developing, promoting and regulating the profession of chiropractic throughout the United Kingdom.

The Chiropractors Act 1994 was introduced into Parliament as a private members' bill by Mr. David Lidington, MP. Its purpose is to establish a statutory registration scheme for chiropractors similar to those that exist for many other professional groups, including all the key health professions, and to the scheme currently being established for the profession of osteopathy.

An essential element for regulating the profession will be the establishment of a statutory register of chiropractors, which will take over the existing voluntary registration programs. Once in place, it will be illegal for anyone who is not on the chiropractic statutory register to call themselves a chiropractor.

Speaking at a press conference attended by members of the GCC, Baroness Cumberlege commented:

"The General Chiropractic Council will be only the second new statutory regulatory body to be established in the last 30 years. It will develop, promote and regulate the chiropractic profession and provide important safeguards for patients. When the statutory register for chiropractors is opened, every chiropractor on it will have met appropriate standards of training and competence and will be subject to a strict code of professional conduct. From then on, the public will be able to choose a chiropractor from the register with confidence, knowing that demanding professional standards in safety and practice are met."

"The chiropractic profession has devoted a huge amount of time and effort to reaching this point. The existing voluntary bodies (including the British Chiropractic Association) must now continue to give the same level of commitment to the GCC during its formative years. We expect that they will continue to function while the new Council prepares to take over control of the profession, and until the statutory register opens. We look to them to support the new Council in every way possible."

"The chairman designate, Mrs. Norma Morris, has an extensive background in public administration and a strong interest in clinical matters, ethics, research and professional conduct. She will be supported by a team of professional members who have been selected from the very best that the chiropractic profession can offer, and of lay members who have a vast amount of expertise in legal, business and consumer affairs. The whole profession must now put its full support behind these very able people as they begin the exacting programme of work that will take chiropractic into the 21st century."

Norma Morris, chairman designate of the GCC, added:

"This is a day the chiropractic profession has worked hard for. The goal of a statutory registration scheme is one that unites the interest of the profession and the public. Patients can be assured that their interest will be fully protected through a scheme that is open on public scrutiny; practitioners can be assured that their professional standards and knowledge of best practice will be in the hands of an expert, publicly accountable body."

"The chiropractors have had the vision and the imagination to see the value of such 'publicly accountable self-regulation' both to their profession and to society. The impressive preliminary work that has already been done has united the profession behind common aims. It provides an excellent foundation for the work of the new Council. We have a lot to do to get the statutory scheme up and running, but we have a strong team who are committed to working together with all branches of the profession, to bring the scheme to fruition."

The GCC is expected to be fully operational within 18 months, and will handle registration and disciplinary procedures for all chiropractors. At that time, the BCA will take on the task of representing, and providing a full range of services for the UK's largest, growing group of chiropractors, the majority of whom are graduates of the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic.

Peter Dixon, president of the BCA, says that the association welcomes the announcement. "It recognizes the importance of chiropractic in primary health care, and will ensure confidence in chiropractic care on the part of other health care professionals and patients.

"The BCA has been in existence since 1925 as an association for highly skilled professional practitioners," said Dixon. "In preparation for our new role, we have recently introduced an audit service which will ensure even higher standards of patient care among our members in the future."

The chiropractic profession will also benefit. The Council will provide a stable environment from which the profession will expand. There will be greater training opportunities as more and more universities develop degree courses in the public sector.

Dr. Sandy Macara, chairman of British Medical Association Council also chose to comment: "We were very happy to support the statutory recognition of chiropractic as a profession. We wish them well in their new responsibilities and look forward to working with them in the interests of our patients."

Membership on the first GCC, which will exist in designate form until the preparatory work necessary to enable the statutory scheme to function properly is sufficiently advanced, was chosen on the basis of individual experience and merit and in accordance with the criteria governing public appointments. The existing registering bodies for chiropractors were invited to put forward nominations from which the chiropractic and education members could be selected. Nominations for lay members were sought from a wide range of national organizations in the field of health, business, law, and consumer interests.

The GCC chairman and membership designate will meet shortly to begin the preliminary work of drawing up a business plan for the new GCC, and the outline of the necessary structures for the administration of the statutory scheme that will supercede the existing voluntary registration schemes. As soon as these are in place, the first of the commencement orders will be made to bring the essential elements of the Chiropractors Act into force. The formal appointment of the GCC will then be made by the Privy Council. It is likely to take some 18 months or more from the formal establishment of the GCC before the statutory register of chiropractors opens.

MEMBERSHIP DESIGNATE OF THE FIRST GENERAL CHIROPRACTIC COUNCIL

Chairman (lay member)

Mrs. Norma F. Morris, MA: visiting fellow at University College London currently engaged in research and consultancy in the field of science policy and research management.

Chiropractic members (all practicing chiropractors)

Dr. Michael C. Copland-Griffiths
Dr. Dana Green
Dr. Carla How
Dr. Nigel Hunt
Dr. Ian Hutchinson
Dr. Susan King
Dr. Anthony M. Metcalfe
Dr. Barbara Minter
Dr. Richard G. Rumary
Dr. Susan L. Steward

Education members

Mr. Alan Breen
Ms. Karen Flintoff
Mr. Timothy C. Jay
Mr. R. Brian Mouatt

Lay Members

Chairman: Mrs. Norma F. Morris, MA (see above).

Mrs. Peaches Golding, BA, MCIM, MIMgt: director of marketing and public relations company and regional coordinator of a Prince's Trust initiative to boost ethnic minority economic activity.

Mr. A. Robin Hodgson: retired chief executive of Hampshire County Council and qualified solicitor.

Lady Peson (Helen): voluntary worker with particular interest in people with disabilities and communication impairments.

Mrs. Linda J. Stone, FRPharmS: community pharmacist and former president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

The appointments of all the above are to be made by the Privy Council, with the exception of Mr. R. Brian Mouatt, who is to be appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment.