"RAMP was initiated to provide a regulatory body in the absence of statutory regulation in animal musculoskeletal care, the founders were advised if they were to move forward and update the legislation we would have to start by self regulating the whole industry.
RAMP therefore is a regulatory body albeit voluntary i.e. you don't have to join to practice (similar but not the same as the statutory human regulators, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) or the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)). RAMPs purpose is to protect the public and their animals by producing cross industry standards, ensuring registrants reach and maintain these standards and maintain a competent register of eligible Practitioners to reassure the public best standards are being monitored.
A Professional Association, sets its own standards and has its own specific criteria for membership. It supports the Practitioners and supports CPD. It sets standards for treating animals for their own flavour of Practitioners.
Because animal Professional Associations ( such as ACPAT, IRVAP, NAVP, IAAT, BVCA, MCC, MAA, AAO etc) all represent their specific memberships they are not considered by the authorities as representive of the whole industry, they are not wholly independent or impartial and therefore are not wholly in existence to protect the public, they exist to develop and promote the practice of their members.
Therefore it is essential we have both types of organisation that are completely separate..."