A message from our CEO Dominique Reid:
We appreciate members taking the time to complete the GCC Consultation we shared a few weeks ago and have set out a summary of the results for you below:
GCC Consultation Survey Results
Q1. Would you prefer to be part of an independent regulator or merged into a multi-discipline regulator?
The overwhelming majority of members favoured an independent regulator with only 1% of participants preferring a merged or multi-disciplinary regulator.
Q2. What would you like to see or hear from the GCC?
A synopsis of the feedback included a suggested reform of the GCC complaints procedure to be more practical and expeditious. In addition, members sought an open dialogue between the GCC and the profession with a view to improving future relationships. A number of participants asked for guidance on the GCC’s expectation as to note taking, X-ray and improving practice standards. Registration fees were a source of discontent particularly for students, new graduates and members taking maternity leave. The most consistent response however related to a desire for the GCC to better promote and protect the profession and further facilitate the development of the profession across the spectrum by broadening the scope of research from pharmaceutical to subluxation-based research.
Q3. Would you like to see an expansion of courses to grow the profession?
Most participants wanted to see an expansion of courses but have conditions such as maintaining quality of teaching.
Q.4 What are your views on the GCC's relationship with the NHS? Would you like to see it grow closer or stay as it is?
Participants on the whole resisted a move towards the NHS. Some saw the NHS as a means of promoting the profession and making it more accessible to the public which they felt may be beneficial to patients. An open dialogue and inter-relationship with the NHS was also mentioned as a potential benefit to patients. The general rationale was that chiropractic is an alternative to medicine, and the NHS philosophy of prescribing pharmaceutical drugs contravenes chiropractic philosophy and a move towards the NHS may lead to an erosion of professional identity for chiropractors.
Q5. Do you believe chiropractic to be a divided profession?
In summary, a minority of participants saw the profession as diverse rather than divided in a practical context. The vast majority, however responded that they did feel the profession was divided. Specific feedback on this point included the suggestion that we would benefit from being more accepting of the diversity of the profession providing chiropractors do so with integrity and within the law.
Q6. Your overall views of the GCC, positive and negative feedback welcome.
Responses to this question varied considerably but there were a lot of similar responses. For instance, a number of participants felt they had developed more confidence in the GCC in recent years and were more engaged with the profession more recently, but slow to respond to the pandemic. Others felt that their approach to investigating complaints was heavy handed, and over-zealous with a focus on protecting the public with a disregard for promoting the profession. Feedback was also given that some chiropractors felt unrepresented by the GCC due to a lack of understanding of chiropractic and further concerns that the scope of practice was limited by favouring musco-skeletal care. Again, participants expressed dissatisfaction with registration fees not being calculated on a pro-rata basis, and did not feel they were getting value for their money.
