BOA Welcomes Whiplash Recommendations
British Osteopathic Association welcomes Whiplash recommendations
The BOA has welcomed publication of a report by the government’s Transport Select Committee on Whiplash, which has set out a number of recommendations for how whiplash injuries caused by road accidents should be handled in the future. The committee was set up because of concerns that the UK was becoming the Whiplash Capital of the World and the cost of claims for compensation pushing up insurance premiums.
A key recommendation of the report is to establish a standardised assessment for whiplash injuries that would provide clearer evidence of injury and seek to prevent fraudulent or exaggerated claims.
Chief executive of the BOA, Maurice Cheng, believes that osteopaths are well placed to help design and deliver these assessments. He says,
‘As experts in disorders of the musculoskeletal system osteopaths have the knowledge and skills to be able to assess damage to the neck and back that may have been caused by a motoring accident. With over 4000 qualified osteopaths in the UK they also have the capacity to be able to carry out assessments promptly, helping to achieve the recommendation that claims are made more quickly.’