At Woodsley and Holt Park our PCN Podiatrist(s), will diagnose, treat, prevent and rehabilitate complications of the feet, ankles and lower limbs of the PCN patients.

 

They should therefore prevent, manage and correct foot problems, relieve pain, treat infection and keep people of all ages mobile and active. Being the expert in all aspects of foot and lower limb structure, function and health.

 

This includes people with lower limb biomechanical problems, structural deformities, vascular issues, diabetes, arthritis, dermatological problems and infection. With podiatry fully integrated into primary care, our Podiatrists are sure that they will always be able to manage these patients thereby ensuring prevention of complications from these long-term conditions mentioned above and reduces the number of unnecessary referrals made to secondary care.

 

As a PCN podiatrist(s), they will often see a patient at their first point of contact or for follow up management as appropriate with the healthcare system. This is in place of the patient seeing another member of the Primary Care team, usually the GP. They will maintain and develop their ongoing podiatric skills to assess, diagnose and manage a range of conditions appropriate to their knowledge and expertise and work at an Advanced Clinical Practice level as the PCN Podiatry responsible.

 

This can be to look at as “a level of practice characterised by a high degree of autonomy and complex decision making… It includes the analysis and synthesis of complex problems across a range of settings, enabling innovative solutions to enhance people’s experience and improve outcomes”.

 

At Woodsley and Holt Park PCN Podiatry, a patient can be seen by the most appropriately skilled Podiatrist within the Primary Care Network and other AHP APs will add to the breadth of the Primary Care team. This PCN Podiatry aim to always have the skills to assess, diagnose and manage a range of conditions appropriate to the Podiatrists knowledge and expertise.

 

As the scope of practice or protocols can change in future, Woodsley and Holt Park PCN Podiatrists may also use MSK ultrasound, injection therapy and prescribing as part of their patient management. They will be able to provide patients with toenail surgery under the local anaesthetic with phenolisation of the matrix and other specialist support which are not available yet and by providing screening, diagnostics and tailored care plans, consequently increasing patient safety and ensuring access to the right care, closer to home.