Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

Dear Forum,
I understand that in UK where I presently live, a Foot Health Care Practitioner (FHCP) can get a qualification from SMAE or Stonebridge college and within in a few weeks begin attending to peoples feet.
So my question would be, is there any regulation as to who can attend to the feet of people living in Australia.
And would the FHCP be acceptable. Or does this depend on getting insurance. I appreciate they wouldn't have AHPRA rego.
Or would the practitioner need to do a further course at TAFE in Australia to be legal?
Incidentally the person in question is presently a falls assistant practitioner, and has been a Physio assistant for 19 years but has no paper qualifications as such.
Many thanks for any input.

 

There are no licensing requirements in Australia for what would be the equivalent of a FHCP in the UK.
They will have to comply with some laws, such as state based infection control requirements etc.
However, despite a number of attempts over the years, FHCP type work in Australia has pretty much failed and the public did not buy into it.

 

Dear Billy the fish,
there is more to podiatry than just cutting nails and corns and callus. Every appointment should include assessment of the vascular system, the skin, as well as at bare minimum annual neuro assessment. Just this week I assessed a new patient with reduced peripheral sensation. She was not aware of her condition. She wore shoes that were too tight and didn't check her feet and got a pressure injury on her toe which has now been treated and she has a treatment plan to reduce the risk of more wounds. I am however concerned how anyone can learn to remove callus and corns using aseptic technique in just a few weeks. In my experience patients who have untrained staff are at greater risk for missed diagnosis of significant medical conditions such as melanoma, BCC and diabetes. There is also greater risk for infection if instruments are not sterilised. We haven't even touched on biomechanics and footwear! Basically I feel like you are asking how can "my friend" do your job without any qualifications and training? The answer is they can't.

 

Thanks for your reply quiltypie. You have experience of untrained staff putting patients at risk from increased infection risk and poor diagnostic skills?
Is this in UK or Australia?
How long does it take someone to learn aseptic techniques , to use single use equipment or an autoclave?