On Tuesday 23 April, for the first time in 30 years, the BCA hosted a roundtable discussion at Westminster, chaired by BCA President, Tim Button.
The roundtable was kindly sponsored by Alex Sobel MP, with the purpose of progressing the BCA’s Vision for chiropractic to be integral to UK healthcare and exploring how chiropractors can help with the musculoskeletal (MSK) crisis in the UK.
This momentous event for the profession was attended by prominent stakeholders including MPs and Peers, former ministers for sport, regulators, Royal colleges, the Secretary General, and nationally renowned MSK experts. The discussion was insightful and productive, creating a strong sense of strategic direction and optimism moving forward.
The discussion covered a wide range of issues that impact the Chiropractic sector and our members. These included:
- International comparisons of integrated healthcare.
- How current Government policies create barriers for chiropractic to make a meaningful contribution, and ways the BCA can engage through our public affairs work to overcome them.
- Raising political awareness of the ways in which our members already support the communities in which they are embedded. Exploring the opportunities this creates for a holistic strategy that utilises the expertise of chiropractors against MSK inequalities.
- Familiarising politicians and wider healthcare professionals with the expertise of chiropractic as a regulated profession to address potential misunderstandings.
This event has been a milestone in the recent political engagement, to build relationships and open lines of communication at a ministerial level. We will continue to build on this work to ensure Government policy and local MPs recognise the contribution BCA members make to their communities and the UK healthcare workforce.
Commenting on the event, BCA Board Member, Faye Deane, said: “The UK healthcare infrastructure is changing, as is healthcare regulation and chiropractic education, creating an opportunity for change leadership and transformation, which the profession so desperately needs“.
BCA Members,
Continue to share your stories of how you make a difference to the healthcare of your local communities, so that we can continue to raise awareness about the impact you make to the health of the UK population.
