British Chiropractic Association Shot Down on Merger Effort

In a letter dated December 1, 2016 written to the Presidents of the McTimoney Chiropractic Association, United Chiropractic Association and the Scottish Chiropractic Association, the President of the British Chiropractic Association, Matthew Bennett urges the three other presidents to form a “single association for the good of the profession”.

Bennett uses the recent accreditation of McTimoney Chiropractic College by ECCE, the European arm of the CCE Cartel (European Council on Chiropractic Education) as a reason to “put our historical differences between our associations behind us”. McTimoney recently won a battle with the ECCE after a scandalous attempt by the ECCE to not accredit the school because of its adherence to vitalistic chiropractic principles. Bennett goes on to repeat the same tired old lines of the Cartel that the profession is “stronger acting together” and that there can be “unity without uniformity” within a single association. 

CLICK HERE for a copy of Bennett's Letter

Unfortunately, not one instance in the history of chiropractic has demonstrated that when the allopathically oriented faction of the profession is in charge they allow the vitalistic, subluxation faction to practice within a narrow scope. The so called “legislate broadly and practice narrowly” doctrine which has failed miserably in the United States. 

Bennett, who states on his own website that chiropractors who take routine x-rays are “flouting accepted guidelines”. So much for unity without uniformity. 

The BCA is largely regarded as a trade organization within the UK that is wholly aligned with the Chiropractic Cartel. In the UK a 2009 postal ballot of members by the British Chiropractic Association asked whether or not the BCA should pursue prescribing rights. The context was that the government was enabling regulated professions other than medicine to apply for limited prescription rights relevant to their scopes of practice and patient population. Some, including physiotherapy, were applying for such rights. 

Almost 80% of those responding were in favor. 

Bennett follows in the footsteps of Richard Brown, the immediate past President of the British Chiropractic Association who has stated his and the BCA’s support for prescriptive drug rights for chiropractors.

Brown is currently Secretary General of the World Federation of Chiropractic. 

In July 2012 in response to physiotherapists and podiatrists in England being given the right to prescribe drugs such as anti-inflammatories and painkillers BCA President Richard Brown stated: 

“This decision will provide significant benefits for patients and complement the care they are able to receive from physiotherapists and podiatrists. It will also reduce the need for patients to return to their GPs for their medication”. 

The BCA statement continued: 

“The BCA, which is committed to improving quality and enhancing patient choice in the provision of musculoskeletal services, has already made representation to the statutory regulator, the General Chiropractic Council for the chiropractic profession to acquire prescribing rights and supports on-going dialogue to achieve this objective." 

In a survey of the BCA membership, 78.5% of all members who voted were in favor of the BCA Council approaching the GCC to ask them to consider application for limited prescribing rights. 

Brown admittedly had “argued that the scope of practice for chiropractors should not be restricted and that an opportunity for the profession to compete with its physiotherapy colleagues in the competitive marketplace of musculoskeletal services would be strengthened by permitting limited prescribing of drugs.”

At the WFC’s 2011 Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brown defended his view in a debate with other leaders in the profession making representations to the General Chiropractic Council, maintaining “that the declared view of the membership of the UK’s largest national association should be acted upon.” 

In a lengthy Facebook discussion where Bennett was defending his call for one association he admonished chiropractors to forget about history stating: "Raking over our profession's history will keep us stuck in the past. We don't need long memories we need a far vision." 

He seems to have forgotten that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. 

Thus far the United Chiropractic Association has shot down the BCA’s bid for a merging of UK organizations.

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