Briefing paper for backbench business debate: Podiatry workforce and patient care. June 2023
Podiatrists are skilled and trained in the prevention and management of diabetes-related foot complications. Podiatrists must be at the heart of NHS plans to eliminate unnecessary amputations and consequent avoidable deaths
Podiatrists are highly skilled healthcare professionals trained to assess, diagnose, prevent, treat, and rehabilitate complications of the foot and lower limb. They manage foot, ankle, and lower limb musculoskeletal pain, skin conditions of the legs and feet, treat infection and assess and manage lower limb neurological and circulatory disorders. Podiatrists are unique in working across conditions and the life course rather than a disease-specific area.
A podiatrist’s training and expertise extends across population groups to those who have multiple chronic long-term conditions, which place a high burden upon NHS resources (diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease). Podiatrists keep people mobile, in work and active throughout their life course.
Podiatry is intrinsic to multiple care pathways and podiatrists liaise between community, residential, domiciliary, and secondary care and primary care settings. Podiatrists deliver high-quality and timely care as well as embracing safe and effective technologies that lead to improved patient outcomes.
Key ask
The key ask of this briefing paper is that the government would meet with the Royal College of Podiatry to discuss how we can secure the future of the Podiatry workforce to enable population health for future generations.