Professionalism

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

Hi all I recently saw an advert for a person offering chiropody services in an opticians and on a website. When I checked the HCPC website they were not on it - the qualifications she listed among others was WMSCH which I have never heard of, should we as registered podiatrists/chiropodists be shopping these people to the HCPC, as I kind of feel a little out of order even though I know its the right thing to do? I did a quick check on google for the WMSCH qualification and loads of people came up offering chiropody services and hardly any of them were on the register, So another question is - is the HCPC worth having?

bARTY!

 

west midlands school of chiropody WMSCH just a guess

 

That depends on whether they were advertising themselves as a "Chiropodist" or "Podiatrist", or they stated they provide "chiropody" or "podiatry" - if so, then this is illegal and the HCPC should take action (usually writing them a letter to point out how terribly naughty they are and asking them to please refrain from using said titles!). If they did not use those terms, but rather "foot health specialist" or similar, then they are doing nothing wrong. This is the ridiculous position in which we find ourselves here in the UK, where there is simply protection of the title(s), rather the function of our profession

 

Do you work in the NHS Ella?

 

Mainly yes, but I have a small private practice too. Why? Did I sound suitably synical?!

Incidentally, don't get me wrong, I completely support your stance on the HCPC Mark - You are a brave man.

 

Not at all - just realistic!

 

I agree with Mark that titles should be used appropriately. However a wide variety of people provide Basic Foot Care, and thats OK. It provides choice to people, where they can choose which type of service, and cost, suits them. After all: our aim is to enable as many people as possible to enjoy comfortable health feet is it not?

I am a Registered Nurse who has done a basic foot care course (together with a diploma in Community Mental Health Care, and in Counselling.) I specialise in providing basic foot care to elderly, mentally disabled, or intellectually disabled, or dementia clients in their own homes, at a cost they can afford. And hey I am not rich, but I am satisfied, and so are my clients. I work with a Podiatrist, to whom I refer more complicated cases. And he refers to me people who want and need basic foot care in their own home. Podiatrists do not want my clients: they are too time consuming, difficult, or non-cost efficient. So there is a place for everyone.

Beauty therapists provide a different type of foot care again. Our clients could not afford a Podiatrist, in a clinic, so you are not missing out. We are all valuable.

 

Hi- seeing as the thread is titled professionalism, an appropriate course might be to contact them and politely inform them of the issue. If they then choose to carry on advertising this then it's not you who's out of order and you can contact the HCPC guilt free. You might even get some future referrals out of it if they take it the right way

As the question of whether the HCPC is worth having- on current evidence probably not.

 

Ian that is what I have done, I will leave it a while and then inform the HCPC if nothing happens whether they will do anything - I don't know, the main point is this is happening all over the place it seems the only thing that HCPC do is watch over registered clinicians and bring them to task! Cynical - too right! Maybe our society should be doing more as well to protect the title after all what do we actually get for our money!!

 

Well that is supposed to be what the HCPC is about after all. It is a statutory regulator. It is supposed to protect the public. It is supposed to "watch over" registered clinicians and bring them to task when necessary. The problem is that when it does fulfil its role and strikes a registered clinician off for being a danger to the public, then said clinician can simply call himself something else and continue to be a danger. Not the HCPC's fault. And the Society don't really know what to do about it either.

 

And that Mark is pretty much the whole point of this thread the HCPC is there to safeguard the population from unsafe registered chiropodists/podiatrists but you can practice without HCPC registration and use the term Chiropodist/ Podiatrist and no one gives a toss - so I say again what is the point of the HCPC, Maybe they need to do some marketing to let Joe public know that HCPC registered chiropodists are checked and are accountable!

Barty

 

I telephoned the HCPC as a FHP is describing himself as a 'surgical chiropodist', they said that they wouldn't take the matter further as 'surgical chiropodist' isn't a protected title. Another FHP advertises she is HCPC registered, when I queried this I was told it was the magazines fault as they had made the advert up for her.
Any one out there heard of other FHP's who have done 12wks training describing themselves as a 'surgical chiropodist?

 

Hi guys,

Wait up a minute. Have any of you wondered who the jobsworth is in the HCPC who gives out the useless info of saying surgical chiropody is not a protected title. What is required, is to find out who their manager is and give them a blasting. I would also put in a formal complaint to the HCPC and ensure it goes up the chain, where you can finally submit it to the Public Ombudsman who oversee public bodies such as the HCPC. You will very likely find that the jobsworth at the HCPC is sure-shifted to a job that deals with the franking machine, or making cups of tea for folk. It may also be that the jobsworth has connections with Foot Health Practioners in some sort of way and gets a kick out of been a jobsworth.

What I find really helps in cases like misappropriation of using incorrect titles and words is to contact Trading Standards, at the end of the day they protect the public, and they would be on those folk in a flash. They deal with issues when it comes to misleading advertising etc. You can find your local trading standards details from your local council website.

I would also not approach the person directly regarding it, as they may start causing problems, also that optician might as well cos its feet through his door, etc, and he maybe renting a room out to the FHP.

Good luck

 

...oops forgot to say, put all enquiries in wring via email to the HCPC. That way that jobsworth at the HCPC can't squeal and say they did not provide you with incorrect information ("...I did not say to the Podiatrist that Surgical Chiropody was not a protected title, etc"). I am fairly old and have spent a good deal of my personal time dealing with jobsworth in public bodies, and unfortunately they are in with the woodwork, and cornerstone of the buildings, you just have to get your complaint to the public Ombudsman and service may get a bit better.

Good luck.

 

Do you by any chance say to your patients, that you are not statutory regulated in foot health because you are not a podiatrist, but because you are regsistered with the NMC, you are statutory regulated in the nursing profession. So, if you have done a foot health diploma, this would then mean that you are able to undertake cutting toenails, debriding callous, etc on the hospital wards and when you are working in capacity as a nurse with the NHS and therefore should be doing the foot health job during NHS time therefore not charging patients. My understanding is that nurses on NHS do not cut toenails, as they are not allowed to, so if that is indeed the case, would you say it is ethically wrong to undertake something privately and get paid for it, when in fact you are not allowed to do it in the NHS. And therefore would that not mean that you are not statutory regulated as a nurse at at the time of providing private foot health.....

Sorry do not mean to challenge you but just want to check on the ethics of things...

 

Sorry it was so early in the morning when i banged out the original post, and therefore not 100% accurate. Meant to say the term Chiropody is protected by law (refer to HCPC) and therefore the person at HCPC should have done something about it.....Chiropody is not a protected title as such, but a protected word.....apologies for that...