This news lands at a time when the entire higher education sector in all disciplines across the UK is struggling, but this does not distract from the fact that this is a significant moment, and it’s natural to feel unsettled when a long-standing institution steps back. I want to reassure you that the Institute of Osteopathy understands these concerns and is already taking concrete steps to strengthen the future of osteopathic education and the pipeline of new graduates entering the profession.

We have already ringfenced dedicated funding to run national awareness-raising campaigns to promote Osteopathy as a career to attract the next generation of students. This work is already underway and the first of the campaigns will be going live in March.

Over the past couple of years, we have been actively pursuing several strands of work that are now coming to fruition to bolster pre-registration training and ensure that osteopathy remains an attractive, sustainable and accessible career path.

• We are providing direct financial support to the Council of Osteopathic Educational Institutions (COEI) to help them strengthen their infrastructure and deliver their newly established educational strategy. This investment is designed to support stability and innovation across the existing education landscape.
• We are exploring opportunities to support the establishment of new pre‑registration courses in the North of England, where we know there is both need and appetite. Early discussions have been promising, and we expect this work to progress over the next couple of years.
• We have been working closely with the existing colleges, the regulator, employers and practising osteopaths to develop a degree apprenticeship route into the profession. After a year of collaborative effort, the apprenticeship standard was officially published on the Skills England website on 18 February. This is a major milestone that opens up new funding routes for our existing education providers and creates fresh opportunities for innovation in osteopathic pre-registration education.

All of this activity has been driven by a clear priority: to protect and strengthen the future of osteopathic education, and to ensure that our profession continues to thrive. While today’s news is significant, it does not diminish the resilience of our sector or the commitment of the iO to supporting both our members and our education partners.

We will continue to keep you updated as this work progresses. In the meantime, please be assured that the iO is acting decisively, collaboratively and with the long‑term health of the profession at the forefront of everything we do.

Dr Alison Robinson Canham

Chief Executive Officer