Osteopath — a non-physician protected title

In the UK an osteopath is a statutorily-regulated non-physician manual-therapy practitioner — not a physician. This is the highest-value distinction in the domain: a US “DO” is a full physician, but a UK osteopath is a manual-medicine practitioner with no prescribing or surgical rights. Under s.32 of the Osteopaths Act 1993 it is a criminal offence for anyone not registered with the GOsC to describe themselves — expressly or by implication — as an osteopath, osteopathic practitioner, osteopathic physician, osteopathist, osteotherapist, or any other kind of osteopath. The title net is therefore wider than the single word “osteopath”. GOsC registration confers the protected title and is the licence to use it.