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SCP vs SMAE Policy

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Simon Ross, Mar 23, 2014.

  1. Simon Ross

    Simon Ross Active Member


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    I notice from another thread that the SMAE on a website suggest a surgery fee of of £35. The SCP claim that by law, they simply cannot recommend a fee for members to charge as it could amount in law to a cartel, and that is illegal! That is an observation!
     
  2. davidh

    davidh Podiatry Arena Veteran

    I'm not sure what your point is.

    Suggesting a fee is not a cartel.
    Fixing a fee which everyone has to charge would be a cartel.

    In any case, suggesting a fee is not a policy.
    Neither is making a statement about not recommending a fee;).
     
  3. Podess

    Podess Active Member

    If we have a look at what SMAE actually says regarding FHP fees they say (on their website in the section about FHP training)

    I think the issue here is not they they are recommending a fee, but are quoting one that is too high. IMO this gives unrealistic expectations to prospective students.

    I do not know any FHP who charges more than £22.00 for either a clinic or surgery appointment.
     
  4. davidh

    davidh Podiatry Arena Veteran

    Yes, but you cannot blame SMAE for that;).
     
  5. omg 123

    omg 123 Member

    Do FHP practitioners get much work at £35.00 ?
    Any FHP on the forum that may be able to help in the answer?
     
  6. Carolh2202

    Carolh2202 Member

    Hi, I am new to the forum and am a FHP. I charge £25 for however long it takes, I have some patients who have nothing more than long toenails and short arms! and several others who have dreadful arthritic feet whose care takes longer. I have full books, never advertise and almost all of my patients are repeats. All of this is irrelevant really as we all charge what the patient will pay whether we like it or not. If I charged £35 my books would not be full, by charging £25 they are, we are in business as well as providing a service and local market value plays a part.
     
  7. David Smith

    David Smith Well-Known Member

    :welcome:

    Just asking, How do you know that

    Also Say your fixed and variable costs per patient session average out at say £10
    Then at £25/session you have a £15 profit but if you charge £35 then your profit becomes £25 a 66.6% increase in profit . So if you see 10 patients/day you earn £150 or £250 so to earn £150 at £35/session you only need to see 6 patients.
    So you need 40% less patients to earn the same income. So do you want full books or less work for the same profit? No brainer eh!

    Don't worry I'm not critisizing as I suffer from the same problem at my clinic i.e. how much can I raise my prices before I start to loose profit. it can be a difficult one eh?

    Rgards Dave Smith
     
  8. Carolh2202

    Carolh2202 Member

    yes, I know what you are saying, my husband, who is the real business man says the same! Guess there has to be an element of wanting to help those who ask for help as well. I always feel slightly aggrieved to have lost a patient because of cost! prob all to do with the Florence Nightingale syndrome!
     
  9. omg 123

    omg 123 Member

    how long did it take you to get full work at £25 without advertising?
    and what part of the country are you in?:D

    Do you ever get asked if you are HPC?

    Thanks:D
     
  10. Pauline burrell-saward

    Pauline burrell-saward Active Member

    I am HCPC. Reg. and work with a FHP.
    WE do exactly the same work and last week there was a family emergency so she took over completely.
    She has never been asked if she HCPC reg.the only reason any one has questioned her is the length of her experience,we tell them I have been trained 20+ years she has been trained 6 mths, the majority don't care,as long as a good job is carried out.

    And no before someone comes back ,we never hide the fact she is FHP
     
  11. Carolh2202

    Carolh2202 Member

    Hi, sorry if I misled you, I don't advertise now, I did when I first started 6 yrs ago but only for around 2 years, I then tailed off the adverts and have never needed to again.

    I have never been asked about registration with the HPC and the only time I have run into problems is if people have health insurance which they then can't claim because I am not registered. If they tell me of their intention prior to the appt then I warn them of the problem, if not I always give a receipt and apologise and give them the option of finding someone else, however most keep rebooking and are happy not to be able to claim. I am still registered with the NMC as a qualified nurse and district nurse, but I am never asked about that either. As Pauline said as long as they have happy feet they are also satisfied customers
     
  12. In the end, there is usually, thankfully, a reason. These days, nothing surprises.
     
  13. omg 123

    omg 123 Member

    I wonder if it is only a matter of time for the HPC to recognise FHP.
    I was never sure of best form of adverts to start a practice.

    I was a nurse also
     
  14. Carolh2202

    Carolh2202 Member

    the issue of registration will run and run, as a nurse manager in the NHS i had to have qualifications and registration to enable me to employ in a uniform fashion. that said 2 nurses with identical qualifications and therefore registration could be as different as chalk and cheese whilst caring for patients.

    In the real world of 'customers' who make choices on service given and price and on the whole don't know or care about registration the matter is possibly less complicated, if they are happy with the service and fee they come back if not they don't.

    I am now old enough to care passionately about customer satisfaction and cynical enough to care little about what anyone other than my customers think!

    I have thought about doing yet another degree to get a BSc in Podiatry but this would be just to be registered with the HPC, the fact that I have full books, happy customers and GPs who are happy to both consult me and take my referrals I think why bother?!

    sorry if I offend those who are passionate about registration.
     
  15. W J Liggins

    W J Liggins Well-Known Member

    I'm really disinterested on this issue because I have long preached the gospel of 'tiered levels of care'. However, it is fair to say that whatever the faults of the HCPC (and imho they are legion), it does provide a base standard, in a similar way to registration with the NMC and the GMC for nurses and medics. In a practical sense, it would allow you access to certain drugs and procedures - nail surgery for example - from which you are currently barred. It may be that you have no interest in this sort of technique, but arguably it makes life more interesting, provides greater choice for the patient and increases income.

    All the best

    Bill Liggins
     
  16. Graeme Franklin

    Graeme Franklin Active Member

    I'm not sure how an experienced pod and a FHP do exactly the same work. I think the ability of being able to offer LA for a painful nail is tremendous, not to mention nail surgery, verruca needling and the occasional joint injection. The scope of practise is far wider. Also not forgetting POMs and the underpinning knowledge that comes with it.

    Cheers,

    Graeme
     
  17. blinda

    blinda MVP

    You took the words right out of my mouth.

    Like Bill, I have no problem with a `tiered level of care` and will support any FHP, pedicurist, reflexologist, etc who refers a pt with more complex pathology than they are trained to deal with. Just as I will refer any pathology beyond mine to a podiatric/vascular/diabetologist specialist, etc.

    A far cry from Pods and FHP`s "doing exactly the same work".
     
  18. omg 123

    omg 123 Member

    the issue is one of minimal standard.
    If you see a Dr or Dentist in the UK he/she has qualified to the same standard and no gray areas exist.

    If we as a profession create many levels of foot health then where will it stop?

    I pay the HCPC and the Society of Podiatrists to promote me as a health professional.
    I completed the required standard of training and maintain the required level of CPD.

    I also cut lots of toenails and corns as you do and I dare say the approach and treatment will be the same.

    reading this post has me a little upset.

    Apart from the ability to work in the NHS I am now not sure at all what good the HCPC has been for me?

    And as you say why did I bother to get a BSc.

    if the HCPC allow the registration of part time courses to enter it then thats me out of podiatry.
     
  19. blinda

    blinda MVP


    Nevermind, Tony. I`m sure you`ll get over your little upset :empathy::empathy:
     
  20. davidh

    davidh Podiatry Arena Veteran

    Nothing wrong or even unusual about a multi-tiered profession.
    You really need to get over this Tony:empathy:.
     
  21. omg 123

    omg 123 Member

    if you believe that ask your DR or DENTIST how much practical experience they had in training before you have some treatment.

    I wonder how you would feel if he/she said two weeks!

    Look it is very SIMPLE once the farce of Grandparenting grunted to a stop did the SMAE stop training NO.

    Here we are again with the problem.

    It matters to many many pods like me as we need income and have invested a lot in this job.

    And if carol carnot be bothered to work to HCPC registration and you think that is ok well shame on you.
    I would suggest you consider leaving the HCPC and joining what ever carol is in.

    Every Non HCPC pod working takes patients from the HCPC reg pods.
    The medical and dental profession would never let this happen so why do we.

    "A wall A head A solution"
     
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