July 2022 service update
The Whittington Health (WH) community podiatry service is working on recovery for all patients who were previously on hold during the Covid-19 outbreak. The service is in the process of contacting patients in a systematic way, ensuring that those who confirm the need for podiatry are booked appointments.
Existing community patients with any concerns can call the central booking team (see How to refer) if required, however a new referral is not required for existing patients. Community and acute ulcer clinics are open.
Service description
The WH podiatry service is a community-based clinical service for adults and children. The service aims to improve the foot health of the local population by providing a comprehensive range of podiatry advice and treatment according to assessed clinical need.
The service specialises in assessing and treating problems of the lower limb, particularly the foot and ankle. Podiatrists aim to maintain and promote good foot health within the population of Islington and Haringey in order to help sustain mobility and independence and reduce pain.
The team can assess a patient’s foot problem and provide treatment and self-care advice as appropriate to their individual needs. The service strives to support patients to self-manage their foot problems in order to improve and increase control over their foot health.
Services include:
- treatment of foot pain
- treatment of high-risk foot problems
- treatment of skin and nail conditions of the foot
- toenail surgery
- injection therapy.
The podiatry service operates across various sites in Islington and Haringey, and patients, depending on their urgency, will be offered an appointment based on their preferred site or where there is an appointment next available.
Virtual consultation support and advice phone line (August 2022)
The Royal Free (RF) podiatry team is also offering virtual consultation support and an advice phone line for NCL health care professionals (HCPs) in primary and community care to support the management of patients with foot conditions, including people with ulceration or infection who have diabetes, peripheral arterial disease or neuropathy.
How to use the service:
- HCPs can call the podiatry service directly for clinical advice t: 020 7794 0500 bleep 71 2317
- HCPs can request a video consultation with a podiatrist during a face-to-face appointment with a patient on the RF website (see External Links). Contact the number above to arrange this.
- click “Start video call” and follow the instructions after selecting waiting area "Adult Outpatient Services"
- you will be in a virtual queue and a podiatrist will join you.
The podiatry service can also be contacted via t: 020 7830 2749 to pre-arrange a podiatry video call. The video consultation can be scheduled for when the HCP will be seeing the patient in a face-to-face appointment (patient video consent required).
The virtual service is available Monday to Friday, 8.45am-4.15pm.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusions
Patients registered at an Islington or Haringey GP with a foot condition meeting the acceptance criteria of the service (see Downloads), including:
- routine/in-grown toenail
- biomechanics (plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, limb-length discrepancy, neuromas, hallux valgus and limitus, posterior tendon dysfunction, in toeing, pes planus and pes cavus foot types)
- diabetic foot annual review (for patients classified as increased or at high risk of foot ulceration) with a need for podiatry care
- foot ulceration which does not require multi-disciplinary team (MDT) care.
- home visits are available for housebound patients only.
Exclusions
- basic nail care for patients with no relevant medical history (if nail care support is required, please refer to the Nail cutting services information sheet in the Downloads section)
- diabetic foot assessments where no podiatry need is present
- verruca patients
- patients requiring radiosurgery
- patients requiring bespoke footwear
- patients requiring walking aids only and no assessment (to be referred by the GP directly to occupational therapy)
- ulcers requiring MDT care (ulcers which are infected requiring IV antibiotics, bone probable/visible, uncontrolled diabetes, suspected ischaemia requiring vascular intervention).
For suspected ischaemia requiring vascular intervention, refer directly to hospital-based vascular clinic.
For severe infection and critical ischaemia, escalate patient immediately to Royal Free Hospital (RFH) Hot Clinic (see Related Services).
