Table 5 Indicative quotations: Qualifications and Credentials

#3

And I, as far as I can, I make sure that they’re registered with whatever body is relevant to that particular practice… Online, and researching it that way. And I know that there is a list of physiotherapists who are trained in dry needling, and that’s the term that they use on the Internet, so it’s all listed there, they even have the qualifications that they have done, whether it’s the introductory course, whether its lower sections or upper sections of the body, it’s very specific.

#19

Oh, I don’t think that qualifications are particularly helpful, it’s only by experience with them and working with them that you start to work out whether they’ve got the goods or not

#12

It impressed me with the initials after her name because there are a lot of people around that don’t have the qualifications, and you’ve got to be very careful about that, because they can do you lot of damage as well.

#18

I am conscious that they do need to be qualified, not just some person that decides to put their name and practice in something. So you know, the qualifications is probably part of the judgement you sort of make, yeah.

#25

And people don’t necessarily have to have the high qualifications to be really good at what they do you know, some people just have that natural affinity for touch, and they can just do it, they’re brilliant. And I'm open to all of that.

#35

Now with chiropractic, that's a little bit easier in that you can see their degree, you can see a chiropractic degree, and in this case with my current bloke, I can see he's got his degree and he’s done his Masters in something else, and Masters in something else, and is doing one in public health at the moment. And I think “well, he's not an idiot,” and “he’s not someone who’s gone and printed something off the computer for you know, a certificate, that doesn't mean anything, and I can see that it came from which university. So I like to see that up first. With Bowen or massage or something, that's a little bit trickier…I think I saw her certificates and stuff up on the wall, but really honestly, that doesn't mean anything to someone like me. I can't, that you know, if the Bowen Therapists Association or something or other has issued a certificate, it probably doesn't mean much to anyone who isn't already doing Bowen maybe you know, if you're not involved in it already, you probably won't know whether that means much or not.