A step-by-step guide for osteopaths who have just received a GOsC fitness to practise letter — the immediate steps that protect your registration, what not to do, and how to start building your evidence from day one
A GOsC fitness to practise letter is one of the most stressful things an osteopath can receive. This guide explains exactly what to do first, and why the decisions made in the first few days matter so much.
The instinct when a GOsC fitness to practise letter arrives is to respond quickly, to set the record straight, to explain what really happened, to reassure the GOsC that everything is fine.
Slow down. The factual response you will eventually submit to the GOsC must be carefully prepared, based on a full review of all relevant records, with professional support. An underprepared response submitted quickly is far more likely to harm your case than a well-prepared response submitted closer to the deadline.
The GOsC letter will specify a response deadline. That deadline is real and you must meet it. But you have time, days or weeks in most cases, to prepare properly.
The guide to GOsC fitness to practise proceedings provides the complete picture of what the investigation process involves.
The Institute of Osteopathy provides regulatory support and access to specialist legal advice to member osteopaths facing GOsC investigations. Contact the iO today, before responding to the GOsC.
If you are not a member, contact a specialist regulatory solicitor who handles GOsC proceedings immediately. Do not respond to the GOsC, do not speak to colleagues about the specific allegations, and do not post anything on social media related to the concern until you have taken professional advice.
CPD Certified, Online, Immediate Access
The GOsC letter will identify the patient or incident at the centre of the concern. Gather all relevant clinical records, case history, examination and assessment notes, treatment records, consent documentation, and any communications with the patient.
Do not alter, add to, or delete from any records. Hand everything relevant to your legal representative without editing it. The guide to GOsC record keeping standards explains the documentation standard the GOsC applies in proceedings.
Begin CPD from the day you receive the GOsC letter. This is not optional advice, it is one of the most practically important actions you can take at this stage.
GOsC case examiners can see the dates on CPD certificates, and CPD completed consistently from the earliest stage carries far more evidential weight than the same courses completed weeks before a hearing.
The nature of the most relevant CPD will depend on the specific concern raised. For HVT or clinical care concerns: clinical standards and patient safety CPD.
For consent concerns: informed consent CPD. For professional conduct concerns: ethics and professional standards CPD. The guide to what GOsC CPD evidence counts explains which courses are most relevant and how they are assessed.
A GOsC investigation letter is not a finding of wrongdoing. It is the opening of an investigation. Many GOsC concerns are resolved at case examiner stage without a formal sanction, particularly where genuine remediation evidence is presented early.
Your response and evidence will directly influence whether your case is one of them. The guide to GOsC case examiners explains what they assess and how.
The guide to GOsC sanctions explains every possible outcome.
The guide to GOsC insight and remediation explains what genuinely persuasive remediation evidence looks like and how to build it from day one.
10 CPD-certified courses for £500. Osteopath-specific ethics and professional standards CPD completed from the day you receive a GOsC letter is the evidence that most consistently changes case outcomes.
Bulk Buy 10 Courses →Contact the Institute of Osteopathy today, before responding to anything. If you are not an iO member, contact a specialist regulatory solicitor immediately.
You should not respond without professional support. The factual response is one of the most important documents in your case.
No. It is the beginning of an investigation. Many concerns are resolved without a formal sanction.
Yes, unless an interim order is imposed. Continue practising to the highest professional standards throughout.
GOsC case examiners assess CPD by date. CPD from day one signals genuine engagement. CPD compiled before a hearing signals compliance only.
Absolutely not. Altering records after a complaint is treated as fundamental dishonesty in GOsC proceedings and consistently leads to the most serious outcomes.
All records relating to the patient or incident identified in the letter — case history, assessment notes, treatment records, consent documentation, and any communications with the patient.
The stage at which GOsC case examiners review the complete evidence file and decide to close the case, issue a warning, propose an agreed outcome, or refer to a full PPC hearing.
Variable, from several months to over a year for complex matters.
CPD completed from day one with specific reflective notes, combined with a genuine reflective statement demonstrating specific insight into the concern raised.
Regulatory support, access to specialist legal advice, and professional resources to member osteopaths facing GOsC investigations.
No further action, a formal warning, conditions of practice, suspension, or removal from the osteopathic register.
Case examiners assess the seriousness of the concern and the strength of the remediation evidence submitted. Strong early evidence significantly increases the chance of resolution before a hearing.
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Seek advice from a specialist regulatory solicitor or your professional defence organisation.
