Future of Podiatry in the UK - Whats your suggestion?

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

It seems like we're at a dangerous point in the life of podiatry in the UK. The NHS want cheap/available (probably not actually) FHPs to do our core work and the management of the college of podiatry who mostly work in NHS management and specialist roles with seemingly little regard for the profession are fine with that and want us all to bend over and take it.

In my opinion the NHS stopped offering "podiatry" when they stopped offering comprehensive routine footcare by podiatrists because THAT IS THE CORE OF PODIATRY. The disaster seen in every diabetic foot clinic stems from that cut back and going along with it is gross negligence. The podiatrists still working in the NHS must be blinded to this truth somehow but surely they can acknowledge that they don't perform all of the job as they were taught to do it. I have so many examples I could give of the NHS podiatrists refusing care to people who NEED it but then I know you all will have seen the same.

The RCPod council claim they have to "be in it to win it" by bending to NHS demands so they can steer the direction it will take. HAHA!! Since when has the RCPod been in the driving seat? NHS budgets has been dictating to our profession for decades and much to its detriment. They just acquiesce every time. They did it by allowing grandparented non-state reg pods in as members in 2005, they sat by while Podiatry has been stripped bare in the NHS and they are doing it again now.

We need to take back control of our professional organisation and steer it well away from the NHS. Let the NHS offer FHP "foot care" if they can find any to do it, rather than allowing them to use FHPs but still call it podiatry. Just imagine the further reputational harm. Let Endocrinology hire some podiatrists to work in ulcer clinics. Other than that we should all look to be working independently doing the full job AS IT SHOULD BE DONE.

The professions reputation is harmed and patients are harmed. Now training standards are harmed. Latest terrible idea I've heard is Wiltshire NHS offering to take people on to "learn podiatry on the job", IE do half a job of routine care for which we don't have trained podiatrists to do with bugger all supervision because who's got spare time, for 3 years while doing 1 day a week remote learning by Zoom with Plymouth uni. Think about that for a minute and try to imagine how a well trained podiatrist could emerge from that. Ridiculous. We have to stop this nonsense. Stop being dictated to by NHS budgets!!

I realise most are in facebook groups these days but anyone here come on whats the answer that the RCPod council are not suggesting?

 

I am very late to this post. I see what you're saying. From my observations, the NHS has neglected biomechanics. Podiatry has been reduced to just foot ulcers. MSK issues seem to get handed to the private podiatrists- good for them- but it kills the morale of NHS podiatrists when podiatry just becomes diabetic foot clinic only. I have nothing against FHPs though. I see ways in which it could be beneficial. 1) FHPs do routine to prevent a backlog while pods can do more complex MSK, nail surgery and diabetic/other high-risk foot, 2) podiatry students are given opportunities to work as FHPs, like nursing students get the chance to work as bank nursing assistants/carers. FHPs are some of the nicest people I've met and I see a lot of hate directed towards them
I also believe it is time for podiatry to adapt more- compression dressings, fillers, and independent prescribing should all be the norm.
In addition, podiatry in the NHS it is just the foot- no knees, no hips, barely even ankle treatment. Why teach us from the hip down in uni then?
I think the profession needs to evolve, and the NHS should learn to utilise their pods- less stress on the GPs etc that way too!