Podiatry Services at Livewell Southwest (LSW) continue to face such a high demand for the service that it has had to prioritise treatment for those with the greatest clinical need in order to be able to respond to referrals in a reasonable timespan.
Patients with the greatest clinical need are those who have developed wounds or those who are extremely prone to ulceration although they have engaged with the advice, devices and footwear that may have been provided to help them. This scenario is not unique to the Livewell’s Podiatry Services and reflects the nationally recognised problems of accessing NHS funded Podiatry care.
These changes have been made to enable the service to assess and treat acute problems such as foot ulceration in a timely way.
What Podiatry Services are available locally on the NHS?
We provide:
- Diagnosis and treatment of foot conditions below the ankle such as foot wounds, suspected ulceration, suspected infection.
- PIFU (Patient Initiated Follow Up) access to the Service for very high-risk conditions for 12 months after wound healing. Patients who have been seen by the Service and advised they have been retained for PIFU access can directly access care for specific problems related to foot wounds without seeing their doctor or nurse first.
- Minor surgery for the treatment of in-growing toenails which present with a wound, infection or significant pain, or an in-growing toenail where the patient has a relevant co morbidity such as diabetes.
- Musculoskeletal Podiatry to diagnose and treat a range of muscle and joint-related foot and lower limb problems which may be due to development, posture, occupation and exercise.
- Children and young people may access the service for a variety of musculoskeletal and developmental problems, as well as for minor surgery for nail removal.
- Self-management advice & signposting information for routine foot conditions and specific conditions that effect the foot e.g. diabetes and some musculoskeletal conditions
- Home visits are only provided for patients that have a foot wound below the level of the malleoli, AND is either bed or chair bound, or requires hoisting to transfer, otherwise, as a clinic-based Service it is expected that patients will normally be seen in a clinic.
What Podiatry Services are not available locally on the NHS?
- Basic foot care such as toenail care
- Routine treatment of corns and calluses in the absence of significant medical risk & wound symptoms
- Routine monitoring and foot care for people whose feet are at risk due to diabetes
- Long term routine care for those unable to self-care
- Treatment for warts and verrucae
What does this mean for people with diabetes?
- People with diabetes presenting with a new foot wound, suspected Charcot Foot and infection etc, will be referred on to the Diabetes MDFT at University Hospitals NHS Trust (UHP) as per the current pathway.
- People with diabetes who have been identified as high risk following a foot assessment, or have an active foot problem (a foot wound or Charcot Foot) can be referred to Livewell Southwest. Referrals are assessed according to the stated need and risk factors to determine whether a face-to-face appointment or self-care and management advice is appropriate. Advice may include signposting to alternative providers OR to this website
- The service will not be offering routine foot care.
Referring Yourself to Podiatry Services
If you wish to, you can refer yourself, your child, someone you are related to or a person you care for, to the service on the basis above. To do so please see our Self-Referral pages here.
If you feel you do not meet these criteria please refer to the relevant advice on this website or consider accessing care from a private provider.