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Since it's arrival in Britain in 1902 osteopathy has been gaining acceptance with both the general public and the orthodox medical profession.

As the number of practising osteopaths grew it was felt necessary by the trained practitioners that some form of regulation was required so that a patient seeing an osteopath could be sure that they were being treated by a safe and competent person.   To this end in 1935 the British Osteopathic Association, the Association of Osteopaths and the National Society of Osteopaths attempted to press for legislation to introduce a state run register.  The bill to produce this legislation was debated by a select committee of the House of Commons but did not proceed further due to opposition from the British Medical Association and several other medical bodies, however, it was suggested by the committee that a voluntary register should be introduced and run by the osteopaths themselves.  This advice was followed and so the General Council and Register of Osteopaths (GCRO) was formed on 22nd July 1936, this allowed members to use the letters MRO (Member of the Register of Osteopaths) after their name.

Over the years other osteopathic governing bodies were formed, though the GCRO remained the largest in Britain. 

By the 1980's the majority of osteopaths again saw a need for a state run registering body and so the impetus for legislation started to regain momentum.  The turning point came in the form of a Working Party Report from the King's Fund in 1991 under the chairmanship of Sir Thomas Bingham, Master of the Rolls.  Attached to the report was a draft private members bill called the Osteopaths Bill which formed the basis of later drafts that were presented to Parliament.  The Bill received strong all-party support and this time the medical profession were very much in favour, with the President of the General Medical Council stating;

'I hope the Bill will be successful.  Self-regulation within the bounds set by Parliament enables a profession to promote and maintain high standards of education, practice and conduct.   It would give me great pleasure to welcome another profession to those who exercise this privilege on behalf of the public.'

The Bill proceeded through the various stages to become law as the Osteopaths Act which received royal assent on 1st July 1993.

The actions of the Act are contained in the Long Title which states;

[The Osteopaths Act is]  An act to establish a body to be known as the General Osteopathic Council; to provide for the regulation of the profession of osteopathy, including making the provision as to the registration of osteopaths and as to their professional education and conduct; to make provision in connection with the development and promotion of the profession; and for connected purposes.

The Act could not be implemented immediately as the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) had not been formed at that point and so it has taken until 9th May 2000 before the register of osteopaths has been drawn up.  It is now an offence in law for anybody to describe themselves as an osteopath if they are not on this register.

During the intervening period all osteopaths, whether new graduates or practitioners for many years, had to reapply to be registered.  This was to ensure that all practitioners were safe and competent to practice but caused quite a bit of friction within the profession.

However, the most important thing now is that anybody looking for an osteopath need only contact the GOsC to be able to find their nearest Registered Osteopath.