About the Centre
The National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR) was established in 2003 to provide leadership and unity in osteopathic research development. NCOR aims to develop a profession-wide research culture which is inclusive, robust, credible, has national and increasingly international impact and benefits for osteopathic teaching, learning and the delivery of evidence-informed patient-centred care facilitated through the development of a research network of osteopaths.
NCOR is hosted within the UCO School of Osteopathy at Health Sciences University.
NCOR’s mission is to develop a culture of research by further developing the profession’s capacity to use and assess all relevant research, and conduct its own research, in order to promote practice that optimises patient care. The organisation’s core values encompass quality, equity, diversity and inclusion, sustainability (including environmental, capacity in the profession and financial), and integrity.
NCOR is a coalition of stakeholder organisations focussed upon promoting quality in osteopathic patient care, serving as a bridge between research and clinical practice. NCOR attained charity status in 2014 and is funded by donations from stakeholders, receiving no funding from advertising. The centre is hosted by the Health Sciences University.
The organisation operates through strategic leadership and collaboration, engagement and education, communication, development, and sustainability, working to advance, facilitate and disseminate osteopathic and osteopathic-relevant research to promote good and safe practice that optimises patient care.
Key research themes and projects
NCOR’s research portfolio encompasses several key areas that directly impact osteopathic practice and patient care:
NCOR Research Network (Practice-Based Research Network)
NCOR has launched the first Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) for osteopathy in the UK – the ‘NCOR Research Network’. A PBRN is a group of clinics that work together with a coordinating organisation, such as NCOR, to conduct research that answers questions relevant to clinical practice. This network produces research findings that are highly relevant for clinical decision-making whilst providing clinicians with research training and experience.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)
NCOR has developed a data collection facility for collection of Patient Reported Outcome Measurement (PROMs) data direct from patients. This involves UK and international data collection.
Adverse Events Research
NCOR was involved in research commissioned by the General Osteopathic Council investigating adverse events associated with osteopathic practice, contributing to patient safety and professional standards. NCOR produces annual reports on concerns and complaints raised against osteopaths. This work was commissioned by the GOsC and provides vital insights into professional standards and patient safety trends. Currently, NCOR is advancing its adverse events research through a literature review project funded by an Osteopathic Foundation grant.
STARSHOT Project
The STARSHOT (Support for osteopathic Research protocols) project aims to support clinicians in developing their protocols for randomised controlled trials, pragmatic trials, observational studies, cohort studies, case-controlled studies, case series, and case reports pertinent to osteopathic practice. This initiative recognises that clinicians are essential to the research process as they can raise important and valuable research questions.
Head of Centre
Dr Jerry Draper-Rodi, D.Prof (Ost), PG Dip, PG Cert, DO
Head of Research & Knowledge Exchange and Director - NCOR
Associate Professor at the UCO School of Osteopathy and Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange.
Full bio
Team
Dr Carol Fawkes, Senior Research Officer – Carol graduated from the British School of Osteopathy in 1988 and was awarded her PhD in 2017 at Barts and The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. Carol was appointed Research Officer for the National Council for Osteopathic Research in 2004.
Dr Daniel Bailey, Research Fellow – Daniel graduated from the BCNO in 2002 and has since worked in private practice in the Midlands. Daniel’s PhD was awarded from Keele University’s School of Medicine for developing and testing a new measure of adherence to exercise for musculoskeletal pain. Daniel is also a registrant member of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).
Trustees
NCOR Trustees include Dr Philip Bright (Chair, HSU), Francesca Wiggins (COEI), Glynis Fox (iO), and Matthew Redford (GOsC).
External Members
The STARSHOT project includes international collaborators such as Dr. Kesava Kovanur Sampath (New Zealand), Lee Muddle (Australia), Dr. Loïc Treffel (France), and Michael Fleischmann (Australia).
Collaborations and Partnerships
Funding Partners
NCOR is funded by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), the Institute of Osteopathy (iO), the Osteopathic Foundation (oF) and multiple osteopathic educational institutions including BCNO group, College of Osteopaths, London School of Osteopathy, North East Surrey College of Technology Osteopathic School, Plymouth Marjon University, Swansea University, UCO School of Osteopathy at Health Sciences University, and the Osteopathic Alliance and Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy.
Research Collaborations
The National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR) meets formally with its stakeholders four times a year, twice as a group and twice individually with the NCOR team, to discuss progress in relation to its mission statement and aims. The NCOR maintains partnerships with the General Osteopathic Council on various research projects, and also works internationally through visiting research fellowships and collaborative projects.
Industry and Government partners
NCOR collaborates with healthcare regulators, professional bodies, and educational institutions to advance osteopathic research and practice standards.
Opportunities for students and researchers
Research Support
NCOR is able to offer outline advice to researchers wishing to design and carry out research projects within the field of osteopathy, and those who are seeking funding. The STARSHOT project provides support for clinicians in developing research protocols.
Educational resources
NCOR provides learning resources including videos on clinical audit and writing for publication, PowerPoint and PDF presentations covering adverse events, complaints trends, management strategies, and research project findings.
NCOR has developed an e-learning module guiding osteopaths through how to enhance practice through clinical audit.
Network membership
The NCOR Research Network provides clinicians with research training and experience, and involvement in a learning community, improving patient outcomes and clinician confidence and satisfaction.
Key Publications and Impact
NCOR members have authored or co-authored numerous research articles, including:
- Research on electronic patient-reported outcome measures for low back pain validation
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses on manual therapy for infants
- Review and clinical trial on osteopathic care and mental health outcomes
- Mixed methods evaluations of cognitive behavioural therapy and osteopathic treatment programmes for chronic pain
- Studies on adverse events associated with physical interventions in osteopathy
- Research on osteopathic patient expectations and experiences
NCOR has been involved in research on adverse events associated with physical interventions in osteopathy, communicating risk and obtaining consent in osteopathic practice, insurance claim trends and patient complaints, and investigating osteopaths’ attitudes to managing clinical risk.
The organisation regularly disseminates research findings to the osteopathic community, patients, other healthcare providers, and the general public, contributing to evidence-informed practice across the profession.
Get Involved
NCOR welcomes collaboration from researchers, clinicians, and institutions interested in advancing osteopathic research. Opportunities include:
- Join the NCOR Research Network: Register your interest to become a member of the UK’s first practice-based research network for osteopathy https://ncor.org.uk/practitioners/pbrn/
- Collect Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in your practice: Visit https://ncor.org.uk/practitioners/proms/ to learn more and register
- STARSHOT Protocol Support: Clinicians can access support for developing research protocols by accessing http://ncor.org.uk/starshot
- Research collaboration: Contact NCOR for advice on designing and carrying out research projects or seeking funding
Contact Information
Email: info@ncor.org.uk
Website: www.ncor.org.uk
Social Media
- X: https://x.com/NCOR_uk
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCORnews
- NCOR Facebook Research Skills Training https://www.facebook.com/groups/ncorresearchskillstraining
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncor_uk/
Support NCOR
As a charity, NCOR relies on donations to support its research activities. Individual contributions help provide funding for advancing osteopathic research evidence.
For more information about becoming involved in osteopathic research or to discuss potential collaborations, please visit the NCOR website or contact the team directly.
Latest Research News
Stay up to date with our discoveries, events and impact stories from across the HSU research community.
An innovation developed through HSU’s Centre for Osteopathic Research and Leadership (CORaL) has been selected by the World Health Organization as one of just 21 projects worldwide to feature at the WHO Global Summit.
In October, HSU was pleased to celebrate the publication of the Priorities for Osteopathic Care (PROCare) study in BMJ Open.
Earlier this week, we were pleased to welcome 13 new PhD students to Health Sciences University during our induction event.
We're proud to share exciting research from Professor Steven Vogel and Emeritus Professor Alan Breen at HSU, part of a unique longitudinal study examining how UK chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists manage low back pain.
The Chiropractic Research Council (CRC) has gifted its funds to the new National Centre for Chiropractic Research (NCCR) based at Health Sciences University (HSU) and in partnership with London South Bank University, McTimoney College, Teesside University, and the University of South Wales.
