No, you can choose to see an osteopath without a referral. Most private health insurance policies will cover osteopathic treatment but check your policy before you book as some will require that you are referred to us by your GP.
Osteopathy is currently only available in North Yorkshire if you pay privately. However national guidelines indicate that it should be available everywhere for low back pain. The British Medical Association guidance for GPs states that doctors can safely refer patients to osteopaths, which is promising progress, and we hope that over the next couple of years there will be a move towards more widespread funding for osteopathy and acupuncture on the NHS.