For the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) year beginning on 1 September 2026 and ending on 31 August 2027, all registrants are required to complete a focused reflection on establishing and maintaining clear professional boundaries.
For the 2026/27 CPD year, all registrants will be required to complete a focused reflection on Professional Boundaries in clinical practice.
Chiropractors occupy a position of power and trust with respect to patients and others. Recognising and maintaining clear professional boundaries is fundamental to safeguarding the therapeutic relationship, upholding professional integrity, and ensuring ethical, respectful and safe care for everyone involved. You are expected to be aware of the potential for power imbalance between you and your patients or colleagues, to recognise vulnerability, and to maintain the boundaries needed to protect both yourself and others - whether interacting face to face, by telephone, or online.
The themes of this year's focused reflection relate directly to Principle E of the Code of Professional Practice:
The Code of Professional Practice - Principle E:
You must establish and maintain clear professional boundaries
As a chiropractor you must:
The Code of Professional Practice - Standard E1:
recognise the power imbalances that come with being a healthcare professional. You must not abuse the position of power and trust which you occupy as a professional. You must not pursue or encourage improper financial, emotional or personal relationships. You must not cross any professional boundary: this includes sexual boundaries.
The following Principles and Standards may also be relevant:
Principle C: You must act with honesty, and integrity, and maintain the highest standards of professional and personal conduct
Principle H: You must foster collaborative healthcare, effective professional relationships and safe, supportive workplace practice.
Standards: C9, C10, E2, E4, G6, H5
Our expectations for 2026/2027
As part of your CPD return for 2026/27, the information you submit to us must include self-reflection on one or more standards within Principle E of the Code of Professional Practice, and on how that reflection has informed, or will inform, your professional practice. The reflective question has been designed to apply to a wide range of practice and we encourage you to use examples from your own individual experience (this could include a previous professional role, a non-clinical role, or how the standards would apply on returning to practice) that you believe are relevant.
The strongest responses explain:
Simply describing a Principle E standard, summarising the Code, or stating that professional boundaries are important is unlikely, on its own, to demonstrate meaningful reflection. Your response should explain how reflection on the identified standard or standards has informed your understanding and practice.
Your response must:
AI tools may be used to support the organisation or presentation of your reflection. However, your CPD record and reflections must remain your own and accurately reflect your experience, learning, professional judgement and how your CPD has informed, or will inform, your practice. AI should not be used to generate generic reflective content that does not accurately represent your own experience.
You may find it helpful to refer to our Professional Boundaries Guidance. This edition has been expanded to cover the full range of professional boundaries in line with the principles and standards within the Code of Professional Practice, including power imbalance, sexual boundaries (including intimate examinations), emotional boundaries and dependency, respect and dignity, financial boundaries (including conflicts of interest), the specific risks of social media and digital communication, and speaking up and reporting incidents.
Furthermore, the GCC Professional Boundaries Toolkit includes practical tips for recognising, maintaining and restoring professional boundaries, such as documenting concerns as they arise, seeking advice from a trusted colleague or your indemnity insurer, and remaining aware of how workload, fatigue or personal circumstances can affect your professional judgement. The toolkit includes common scenarios - such as going into business with a patient, treating people you know, or bumping into a patient in the street - to help you reflect on how you apply the principles of professional boundaries in your everyday clinical practice, and thereby identify where your knowledge and practices may be strengthened.
To help you reflect on Professional Boundaries and how it could affect your clinical practice, we have prepared the following real-life scenarios for you to consider. A new scenario will be shared in the monthly newsletter and on LinkedIn.
Your new patient has recently divorced and moved to the area. You’re treating them for a running injury. To make conversation, you mention that you do parkruns. The patient asks if they can come along, as they don’t know many people in the area. Sensing your hesitation, they quickly say, “Surely there’s nothing wrong with us being friends?”
You explain that it is not a good idea to become friends with patients, and that this is not about whether you like them, but about maintaining a professional relationship. The patient says that this is ridiculous and that you’re both grown-ups. They say it’s not as if they’re suggesting a date; it’s just running. You stand your ground, politely but firmly, and explain why maintaining professional boundaries is important.
The patient recognises that they may have overstepped the boundary. At the next session, they apologise and present you with a bottle of whisky, saying they hope there are no hard feelings.
Some questions for you to consider:
Patients may not always recognise where a professional boundary lies. If a patient suggests social contact, respond calmly and sensitively and be prepared to explain why maintaining the professional relationship is important. Bring the explanation back to your role in providing appropriate care.
Clear and consistent boundaries protect both the patient and the chiropractor. They reduce the risk of misunderstanding about the nature of the relationship or allegations of inappropriate conduct.
The bottle of whisky needs separate consideration. A gift offered immediately after a discussion about friendship and boundaries could blur the boundary that has just been re-established, even if the patient's intention is simply to apologise. Consider the nature and value of the gift, the circumstances in which it is offered, whether accepting it could create a sense of personal obligation or change the nature of the relationship, and any relevant practice policy. It may be appropriate to thank the patient for the gesture while politely declining the gift and reassuring them that there are no hard feelings.
