About the iO | About the iO
ABOUT
The professional membership body for Osteopathy
The Institute of Osteopathy (iO) is the professional membership body representing UK Osteopathy. Our membership consists of nearly three-quarters of registered osteopaths and two-thirds of the current student body across the UK.
Our mission is to support, unite, develop and promote the profession for the improvement of public health and patient care. We are committed to realising our vision to see osteopathy become a growing and thriving profession, recognised and accessible to all.
OUR WORK
Central to the iO’s purpose is the support of our members. We provide a range of services, resources and best practice advice in clinical development, business practice and engagement opportunities, that support our members to provide high-quality healthcare services.
We actively represent the views of the profession, listening and engaging with members on key issues and developments. The iO team networks extensively with osteopathic groups at both a regional and national level and hosts multiple live and virtual networking events.
We work closely with all Higher Educational Institutions providing osteopathic degrees, post-graduate training providers, the regulator and other key osteopathic stakeholder organisations. The iO holds stewardship of the charity the Osteopathic Foundation, and invests in the National Council of Osteopathic Research.
We believe that osteopaths can provide expertise and resource to overstretched NHS services. With these ever-increasing demands in mind, we are working with NHS England and Health Education England in an effort to mobilise allied healthcare professionals, such as osteopaths, to improve access to care and identify innovative service reforms.
The iO values collaboration and partnership, We work with other healthcare professions, healthcare agencies and patient groups with the aim of improving the health of the public and raising awareness of health-related issues. Our health campaigns encourage osteopaths to inform, educate and discuss key health messages with their patients, as well as directly with members of the public.
The iO facilitates the development of the profession by uniting and collaborating with major osteopathic stakeholders. We work as a member of the Osteopathic Development Group (ODG), a forum that brings together all the major osteopathic organisations for the long-term development of the osteopathic profession for the benefit of individual osteopaths, the public and the profession as a whole. Along with the iO, ODG members include the regulator (the General Osteopathic Council), National Council for Osteopathic Research, the Osteopathic Foundation, and the educational institutions delivering undergraduate and post-graduate training.
Our members operate in line with iO’s Patient Charter and values, which demonstrate to the public, patients and colleagues, that they are committed to providing the highest quality service and care to their patients.
The iO represents UK Osteopathy on the international stage and is an active and influential stakeholder in the global osteopathic community. It is a member and secretariate of the European Federation and Forum of Osteopathy (EFFO) and the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA)
Useful Links
The General Osteopathic Council
National Council for Osteopathic Research
Osteopathic International Alliance
European Federation & Forum for Osteopathy
The Osteopathic Foundation
The Osteopathic Alliance
