Ethical breaches occur when an osteopath fails to meet the professional standards set out in the Osteopathic Practice Standards (OPS).

Many breaches arise from poor judgement, communication failures, inadequate systems, or commercial pressure — but the consequences can be serious.

Common areas of concern include:

Inadequate or Invalid Consent

Failing to explain risks of manual therapy.

Not documenting consent discussions.

Proceeding despite patient hesitation.

Using generic consent forms without meaningful discussion.

Failing to revisit consent when treatment changes.

Consent must be informed, voluntary, and ongoing. Failure in this area is a frequent cause of complaint.

Unsafe Clinical Practice

Failure to identify red-flag symptoms.

Ignoring contraindications.

Delayed referral for serious pathology.

Practising beyond competence.

Excessive force or inappropriate technique.

Continuing ineffective treatment without review.

Unsafe practice directly risks patient harm and may trigger regulatory action.

Misleading Advertising or Claims

Claiming to treat systemic or medical conditions without evidence.

Guaranteeing outcomes.

Using exaggerated testimonials.

Presenting anecdotal experience as scientific proof.

Making fear-based claims about other healthcare providers.

Public misrepresentation damages trust and may be treated as misconduct.

Financial Exploitation or Overtreatment

Pressuring patients into long-term prepaid packages.

Recommending ongoing care without clinical justification.

Creating dependency-based treatment models.

Lack of fee transparency.

Financial misconduct undermines beneficence and public confidence.

Boundary Violations

Inappropriate physical contact.

Failure to maintain professional distance.

Romantic or sexual relationships with current patients (strictly prohibited).

Exploiting patient vulnerability.

Boundary breaches are among the most serious allegations in hands-on professions.

Poor Record-Keeping

Incomplete clinical notes.

Lack of documented red-flag screening.

Missing consent documentation.

Inadequate treatment rationale.

Failure to record adverse events.

In regulatory proceedings, poor records may be interpreted as evidence of unsafe practice.

Dishonesty

Dishonesty may include:

Falsifying CPD records.

Altering or deleting patient notes.

Misrepresenting qualifications.

Providing false information to the regulator.

Insurance fraud.

Regulators consider dishonesty fundamentally incompatible with professional registration.