18/02/2026
We're calling for chiropractors to be formally recognised as Allied Health Professionals in England
We've written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, making the case that AHP recognition for chiropractors could help ease NHS pressure and expand access to musculoskeletal care where it’s needed most.
Chiropractors have operated under statutory regulation since 1994, overseen by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) under the Chiropractors Act, with clinical standards and postgraduate training managed through the Royal College of Chiropractors (RCC). Yet chiropractic isn't currently recognised as an AHP in England, whilst physiotherapy and osteopathy are, even though all three professions share a comparable MSK scope and hold statutory regulation.
Our letter draws on independent health economic analysis from the York Health Economics Consortium, showing that fuller NHS integration of chiropractors could free over 100,000 appointments each year. The analysis estimates productivity gains at roughly £400 million annually, potentially climbing to £1.5 billion cumulatively across this Parliament, driven primarily by faster return-to-work outcomes that directly affect workforce availability and economic output.
MSK conditions account for approximately 30% of all GP appointments in the UK. When someone waits weeks for back pain treatment, or when GP appointments fill up with cases that could be managed in community settings, there's regulated capacity sitting just outside the system. Patients need timely MSK care, and chiropractors are already doing it in private practice. Chiropractors are equipped and regulated; what we're asking for is the opportunity to do more within the NHS framework, and to be a part of the solution when services are under pressure.
Community-based chiropractic care already exists across England, and chiropractors are already treating patients with MSK conditions. But without AHP recognition, their ability to integrate properly into NHS pathways remains limited.
Better access to MSK care benefits everyone, so we've requested a meeting to discuss how chiropractic can be better integrated into NHS pathways and ensure patients have timely access to regulated, community-based MSK care.
We're here, we're ready, and we want to help.
Read our full letter: https://lnkd.in/eZQG9JfC