Podiatry

Service description

Who are we?

Podiatrists are highly trained specialists in the foot and lower limb.

All our podiatrists are registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) who ensure that staff meet their standards for training, competence and professional behaviour.

We are autonomous practitioners, which means we will make our own clinical decisions when diagnosing and treating conditions.

Our aim is to help you to help yourself.

What we treat

We do not see every patient who applies to our service. This includes referrals from other medical professionals.

Referrals are checked by a qualified member of our team, who will determine if the service can meet your needs.

You may be offered advice or a virtual (video/telephone) appointment, where a face-to-face appointment isn’t deemed necessary by our team.

We support patients with a range of foot conditions where there is a medical need, including:

• Those with a foot problem and a medical condition that could lead to foot ulceration or amputation
• Ingrown toenails
• Open wounds on the foot, excluding the ankle, for four weeks or longer
• Sudden red, hot, swollen foot with or without an open wound
• Assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal problems of the lower limb.

We do not provide treatment:

• On the basis of affordability or receipt of benefits
• If your problem is related to certain footwear
• For general skin and nailcare (chiropody)
• For skin and nail infections (including fungal) – please speak to your GP or pharmacist
• For flat feet, fallen arches and toe misalignment, including bunions
• For direct replacement of previous insoles.

Self-care for your feet

Common foot conditions

Many common foot problems can be self-treated. There are lots of resources available to help with this.

See our self-care page for more information.

General footcare/chiropody

Many people are in need of footcare. This may be because they are unable to do it for themselves or because they have become anxious about injuring themselves if they do.

The podiatry service does not offer a general footcare or nail cutting service. A family member or other trusted person may be able to support you in caring for your feet, or you may choose to use a professional.

Finding a professional

You can check the registration status of a chiropodist or podiatrist using the Health and Care Processions Council website.

Other foot care professionals also exist, although legally they cannot refer to themselves as a chiropodist or podiatrist, so may present under different titles.

Whoever you choose, we encourage you to do your best to check that they are competent and only working within their trained scope of practice if they are a professional.

For advice on how to trim your own nails, please watch the video below from our colleagues at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Home visits

Podiatry is a clinic-based service, often involving sharp and specialist equipment. In a clinic setting, safe and effective treatment can be provided.

Because of this home visits are limited to those who are bedbound or hoisted. Patients who do not meet this criteria, including those who use wheelchairs or walking aids will be asked to attend clinic.

We will do our best to enable you to access a ground floor clinic, with accessible parking where required and provide sufficient notice to arrange your own transport or other support arrangements.

For those who do not have access to a vehicle or public transport, there are a number of local transport schemes you may be able to use, subject to their qualifying criteria.

More information about transport schemes can be found on our help, support and resources page.

Locations

The Podiatry Service offers appointments at these locations.

We will try to offer your nearest clinic. However, if this is not possible you may be asked to travel to an alternative clinic for your appointment.

Referral criteria

Applications can be made completing this downloadable form and returning it to LLR.Podiatry@nhs.net or by completing our online Podiatry Service referral form available on this link.