ACCESS TO PODIATRY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES

1. Under the Chairman of Councillor Dowden the review group looked at the podiatry services provided for people with diabetes.

2. The review set out to examine:

· What local processes for the identification of people with diabetes are in place.


· What education for self care and assessment is available.


· Are foot inspections being carried out as part of the annual health check


· Is access to relevant podiatry services available when needed.

3 The methods adopted to inform the review working group included:

¬ Electronic desk research to access information on diabetes from Diabetes UK, Department of Health, National Institute of Clinical Excellence, World Health Organisation and Dr. Foster(a website which launched a questionnaire to all Primary Care Trusts across the UK which included a number of questions on foot care).


¬ An Interview with a the Podiatry Services Manager of Portsmouth Primary Care Trust on the issues facing podiatry services and to give advice on the wording for to provide a basic overview questionnaire.

¬ A questionnaire being sent to each Primary Care Trust.

4. The findings show that there is a huge variation in services across Hampshire with on agency or partnership taking an overall lead for developing strategic direction and that lead agencies need to share responsibility to develop a whole system approach.

5. The following recommendations were made and accepted by the Committee:-

i. The Strategic Health Authority takes strategic responsibility for ensuring equity of foot care for people with diabetes across Hampshire to comply with recommendations from the diabetes National Service Framework and National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines


ii. Leads for diabetes from each Primary Care Trust join together to form a diabetes health network to action the recommendations in the National Service Framework and National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines on foot care for people with diabetes.


iii. Key agencies join together to introduce a training and development programme for all staff involved in foot care for people with diabetes.

6 This supports Aims 1, 4 and 5 of the Corporate Strategy.