Since the 1990's the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) which is the sole authority for the licensing and regulation of chiropractors in the United Kingdom has slowly and methodically dismantled the elements necessary to practice in a subluxation model.
The most recent attack comes from Nick Jones the CEO and Registrar for the GCC who frames it in the GCC's typical fashion of boiling the frog slowly.
The tactic is as old as politics. Tell the people you are about to screw over that certain people have raised concerns about the matter and you want their feedback all the while knowing exactly what you are going to do with or without anyone's feedback.
In his recent blog post for the GCC Jones gives chiropractors in the UK some "Food for Thought" laced with poison.
CLICK HERE to review
As predicted Jones starts out:
"I am often asked by chiropractors what the GCC is doing to protect patients from behaviours by a small minority of chiropractors that they feel may give the profession a bad name."
Jones should be required to turn over all of the documentation substantiating his claim that "he is often asked" about these bad chiropractors.
Then, once he has set the stage that there are bad chiropractors out there and so many good chiropractors are asking him to do something about it he gives you his "reflections" on "disincentivising" certain practices.
"I have offered these reflections, as we are considering whether there is a need to disincentivise the use of these (and other) practices by being more explicit as to their use or otherwise."
"Or otherwise."
And just what practices signify a bad chiropractor that must be "disincentivised"?
Well, the usual suspects top the list of course:
- Open Adjusting,
- Pre-Payment Plans
- Discounted Care
Typically those chiropractors who see patients primarily for pain and musculoskeletal complaints don't take x-rays (they aren't correcting anything), don't use an open, community adjusting plan, don't do pre-paid plans because they are only going to "treat" them for 6-8 visits and they don't offer discounted care because they are just going to take what the government will give them and certainly aren't going to encourage the entire family to be under care.
That is the basic Chiropractic Cartel regulatory strategy to marginalize the practice of managing vertebral subluxation and the GCC has implemented it nicely and has been very successful since UK chiropractors have by and large just gone along with it.
The trade associations that ostensibly exist to protect chiropractors ability to give and their patient's rights to receive subluxation care have been ineffective at stopping the GCC train.
Nothing New
CLICK HERE to review the full report
The survey, sent in early May 2006, had a 50.9% response rate with 968 out of 1,900 questionnaires returned. The report underscores critical concerns among chiropractors:
- A substantial majority of respondents (52.8%) disagreed with the statement that the actions of the GCC in disciplining chiropractors have improved public protection, while only 31.8% agreed.
- An overwhelming 83.8% of chiropractors felt that the GCC has done little to promote the profession, with a mere 8.0% disagreeing.
- Unity within the profession under the GCC was largely negated, with 83.8% disagreeing that it has been achieved, against only 8.1% in agreement.
- The survey highlighted a call for more external and impartial oversight in the accreditation of chiropractic colleges, similar to the General Osteopathic Council, with 77.1% in favor.
- There's a strong demand for quicker professional conduct case resolutions, with 91.3% agreeing that cases should be heard within six months.
- 6. Transparency and openness of the GCC operations were questioned by 73.9% of the respondents, and 88.3% found the £1,000 GCC registration fee unreasonable.
- Only 22.9% of respondents expressed confidence in the GCC's ability to regulate the profession effectively, with a stark 77.1% indicating a lack of confidence.
This feedback reflected a critical view of the GCC's effectiveness, transparency, and promotion of the chiropractic profession. The survey called for significant reforms within the GCC to address the concerns of practitioners and to foster a more united and supportive regulatory environment.
Of course none of that happened.
The Vote of No Confidence in the GCC by the majority of practicing chiropractors in the UK followed on the heels of the GCC's Consulting the Profession: A Survey of UK Chiropractors, 2004
Interestingly that survey revealed some data on at least one of the items on the GCC's chopping block:
Open plans:
- 8% of respondents use a treatment area where more than one patient is present at the same time.
- 2% of respondents do not provide separate changing rooms for the open plan area, this is due to the fact that they do not require their patients to undress.
- Less than 1% of respondents do not provide individual consulting rooms
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Philosophy
In it the GCC warned about the inclusion of "wellness care" leading to "potential risks for practice in the UK" and that "the use of the term subluxation (in the CCEUS and CFCREAB) is likely to affect the competence of US and Canadian graduates in the UK setting (for both assessment and care of patients)."
The GCC also put the kibosh on the teaching of philosophy in chiropractic education:
"The philosophy of chiropractic should be deleted from criterion 4(a) based on the reasons outlined in the consultation document."
What were some of the reasons cited?
"This requirement was not contained in any other accreditation criteria in worldwide chiropractic and there was difficulty in providing guidance as to what exactly would be required in this area."
Incredibly, the GCC accepted the advice of the Education Committee, noting, "There is no one agreed view as to what that philosophy is."
CLICK HERE for more on that story
Subluxation Goes Next
Around the same time the GCC put a stop to "claims" about the epidemiology of vertebral subluxation stating:
CLICK HERE for a copy of that policy
After a worldwide outcry about the stupidity and ignorance that such a statement revealed about the people who wrote it the policy was revised and "or health concerns" was removed.
But the GCC boss at the time Margaret Coats made the GCC's position perfectly clear:
1. There is no clinical research base to support claims that the chiropractic vertebral subluxation complex is the cause of disease or health concerns.
2. The GCC does not intend to seek any further advice on the claims made.
3. Within the next week or so the GCC intends to issue guidance to the profession on claims made for the chiropractic vertebral subluxation complex, a copy of which will be sent to you.
On your fourth question, the word ‘subluxation’ is a synonym for terms such as joint misalignment, joint dysfunction, facet syndrome and articular derangement.
CLICK HERE for a copy of the letter
Magical Thinking
The GCC called these "unorthodox" and that any school in the world teaching them will not meet their education standards. At the very least this means that graduates from Sherman, LIFE, LIFE West, New Zealand, Barcelona, Australian Chiropractic College and the new school in Scotland will not be able to gain licensure by the GCC.
Where is the outcry about that move?
This nonsense was reinforced by a recent paper published in a research journal controlled by Subluxation Deniers that portray chiropractors who practice in a subluxation model and caring for asymptomatic children as engaging in "Magical Thinking".
CLICK HERE for that
Now What?
According to numerous posts on Facebook and social media some practitioners are organizing a response the the GCC's latest efforts at marginalizing the practice of managing vertebral subluxation. According to those reports Nick Jones' blog says the GCC will be holding online events in April to discuss the new code. They suppose that collating responses will begin after the Easter Weekend at the beginning of April. They have issued a call to arms stating:
- Right to decide your own patients' plans of care.
- Right to practice open-plan.
- Right to not have to send a letter to the GP after every single patient encounter.
PLEASE complete the anonymous feedback form here:
This can also be shared with your patients.
