Board asking every osteopath in Australia to read position statement on paediatric care

28 Mar 2017

The Osteopathy Board of Australia (the Board) has published a position statement for registered osteopaths in Australia which reinforces to all osteopaths their professional obligation to work within the limits of their scope of practice.

The Board is asking every osteopath in Australia to read the Position statement on paediatric care and understand their obligations when caring for babies and children.

The Board developed the position statement to reinforce the importance of osteopaths working within their scope of practice, meaning in areas where they are suitably qualified and trained and competent, and that they should not work in areas where they are not.

• Position statement - Statement on paediatric care (67.4 KB,PDF), Word version (372 KB,DOCX)

‘This is an important conversation to have with the profession. As health professionals, osteopaths can help improve the care received by paediatric patients by making sure they are receiving the right care, at the right time and from the right professional,’ said Dr Nikole Grbin (Osteopath), Board Chair.

The position statement was developed to ensure that all practitioners and students are clear about their obligations when caring for babies and children.

It highlights the Board’s expectations that osteopaths should not claim to or provide care for babies and children unless they have the appropriate education, training and competence to do so.

In its position statement the Board reminds osteopaths that they cannot use the term ‘specialist’ in relation to their practice as ‘specialist’ registration and specialist titles have not been established for osteopathy in Australia.
The statement supplements the requirements of the Code of conduct for osteopaths, which osteopaths are held accountable against.

For more information

• Read the new Position statement - Statement on paediatric care (67.4 KB,PDF).
• Lodge an online enquiry form.
• For registration enquiries please call 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9001 (overseas callers).
• For media enquiries, please call (03) 8708 922.

Download a PDF of the Media release - Board asking every osteopath in Australia to read position statement on paediatric care - 27 March 2017 (93.4 KB,PDF).