Camden Podiatry Service provides assessment, diagnosis, advice and treatment for a wide range of foot conditions. The eligibility criteria (see below) for podiatry care is based on clinical need for individuals with foot complications, including those at greatest risk of developing foot health complications as a result of both complex medical history and podiatric need.

Podiatry care is provided in health centres, acute and community hospitals, mental health sites and the homes of strictly housebound patients. A transport service is available for patients who are immobile but not housebound.

Eligibility for podiatry, based on clinical need

The podiatry eligibility criteria is a clinical-needs-based risk assessment of the foot, taking into account the patients foot problem and underlying medical condition.

• High risk: Patients classed as high risk are those with serious/critical foot complications or those who have a risk of developing serious/critical foot complications. For example, a patient with or without diabetes with ulceration, infection, limb ischemia and peripheral nerve damage.
• Moderate risk: These are patients with foot complications or those at risk of developing foot complications which have the potential to progress to serious/critical foot complications. For example, an immunosuppressed patient with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis affecting their feet or alcoholism related conditions affecting the feet. 
• Low risk: Patients with good medical health/low medical risk with good vascular status of the feet, intact sensation, mild deformity, minimal/moderate callus and no pain. This includes diabetes patients categorised as low risk, with no other podiatry or medical risk factors (see exclusion criteria).

For very urgent cases such as foot wounds/ulcerations/infection, (see download below Camden podiatry Service Referral Pathway), the patient will be seen within 48 hours.   

Out of hours patients should be referred to A&E.

Services for homeless people

People who are homeless in Camden may receive treatment at a monthly clinic at the Change, Grow, Live Centre (see Locations). Direct referral to Change, Grow, Live (awaiting to be resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic).

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• people who live in Camden and/or registered with a Camden GP
• for full eligibility tool, see Downloads.

Exclusions

• nail cutting (basic nail care is not routinely provided, except for high-risk patients)
• low-risk patients
• verrucae
• fungal nail infections requiring prescribed systemic anti-fungal treatment
• the service cannot provide surgical footwear
• for podiatry MSK/biomechanics patients, refer via Camden MSK (see referral pathway in Downloads).

How to Refer

Locations

Camden Community Health Podiatry Service

Change, Grow, Live