Podiatry

General Information

Suffolk Podiatry is provided by an alliance of five organisations and is managed by Suffolk GP Federation. They provide a specialist service to patients within Suffolk and Thetford.

Suffolk Podiatry seek to enable patients to maintain their own foot health with confidence and to protect those patients most at risk of life-changing foot health complications. Podiatrists are involved in the treatment of the following conditions:

• Foot complications due to diabetes or poor circulation
• In-growing toe nails requiring surgery
• Foot and lower leg pain requiring MSK biomechanics intervention

Suffolk Podiatry are not commissioned to provide treatment for:

• Patients unable to manage basic footcare/nail cutting. To find a private HCPC registered podiatrist, visit the College of Podiatry website: cop.org.uk/find-a-podiatrist/
• Verrucae

The team is made up of podiatrists, the diabetes lead, podopaediatric lead, biomechanics lead and diabetes specialist podiatrists.

Opening Times

Monday to Friday: 8.45am-5.15pm
Our clinics do not operate over Bank Holidays.
The frequency of service provision will vary depending on location.

Appointment Information

Referrals are accepted via the following sources:

• GP practices
• Health and Social Care Professionals
• Self-referrals

Podiatry Online Referral System

The Podiatry Online Referral System (PORS) enables patients to directly access the service through self-referral. Our system guides you through the process by asking a series of questions about you, your medical history and your foot related problem.

For more information about how to apply for podiatry care, click here

By proceeding with your referral online, you are giving us consent to collect and store your information. Please be assured that your data will be stored securely, will only be used for your care and will remain confidential.

For more information on data protection in our organisation, please click on the following link: suffolkfed.org.uk/suffolk-gp-federation-and-data-protection/

Locations

Suffolk Podiatry covers the whole of the county (with the exception of Waveney), and also the Thetford area of South Norfolk. Patients must be registered with a GP practice in Suffolk or Thetford.

• Aldeburgh Community Hospital
• Biomechanics Centre Walker Close Ipswich
• Drover’s House, Bury St Edmunds
• Felixstowe Community Hospital
• Framfield Medical Centre, Woodbridge
• Hadleigh Surgery
• Hartismere Hospital, Eye
• Haverhill Health Clinic
• Mildenhall Clinic
• Newmarket Hospital
• Riverside Clinic, Ipswich
• Stowhealth Centre, Stowmarket
• Sudbury Health Centre
• Thetford Healthy Living Centre

Contact Details

For queries on new referrals call: 01473 921828
For queries regarding existing patients call: 01473 921828

The Podiatry office can also be contacted via email: sgpfed.suffolk-podiatry@nhs.net

Leaflets about Diabetes and the Feet

Do you have diabetes? Do you know your risk of Foot Health Complications? When your feet are checked either by your Nurse or by a Podiatrist they will assess you to see whether your feet are at risk of developing any complications. Depending on the results you will be in one of these groups, in accordance with NICE guidelines: Low Risk, Moderate Risk or High Risk.

• Diabetes and the feet > General overview of how to look after your feet if you have diabetes

General Advice Leaflets

This page contains links to our advice leaflets. This list is being added to and updated on a regular basis but if you do not find what you are looking for, you may be able to find more information on NHS Choices.

Please click here to go the NHS Choices website.

The leaflets below will sometimes be sent to you electronically if you complete an online referral, the leaflets are selected based on the information you provide as you complete the referral questions.

Please be aware it is not possible to provide an accurate treatment plan without proper assessment by a podiatrist.

• Footwear Advice The right footwear for you is essential if you want your podiatry care to be effective
• Achilles Tendinopathy Information about a condition that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and weakness of the Achilles tendon
• Calf Muscle Stretches Advice for stretching calf muscles. Helpful for conditions such as heel pain.
• Painful Big Toe Joints Advice for patients suffering with pain in their big toe joints
• Forefoot Pain: “Metatarsalgia” Information and Advice about forefoot pain (also known as “Metatarsalgia”)
• Helping your foot pain with shop bought insoles Many people benefit from trying an over the counter insole before they see a podiatrist
• Fungal Toenails Self-help advice for patients suffering with Fungal Toenail Infections
• Ingrowing Toenails Self-help advice for patients suffering with ingrowing toenails
• About Your Nail Surgery Advice for patients wanting more information about what nail surgery is all about
• Plantar Fascia Stretching/Massage Advice Advice for patients suffering with heal pain, including conditions such as plantar fasciitis
• Corns & Callus Advice for self-care of Corns & Callus
  treatment for Verrucas)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis & the Feet Information about how the most common form of arthritis can affect your feet
• Verrucae Advice for self-care of Verrucae (please be aware that our service does not provide treatment for Verrucae)

Children’s Feet – Advice Leaflets

Please click on the links below to download a PDF of any of the advice sheets listed here. Please be aware that we do not assess or treat children under the age of 5.

• Children’s Footwear Advice This leaflet includes useful information when buying footwear for children
• Hypermobility in Children Most children are flexible but children are considered hypermobile if their joints move beyond the normal range of motion
• In-toeing Gait Information about children who walk with their toes pointing inwards
• Osgood’s Schlatter’s Information leaflet about knee pain associated with rapid growth in children
• Paediatric Pes Planus (Flat Feet) Information about children with “flat feet”
• Paediatrics: Sever’s Information about knee pain associated with rapid growth in children

How to apply for treatment:

We receive referrals from a variety of sources:

• Referrals from Healthcare professionals including GPs, Nurses and Consultants.
  Please note that not all patients who are assessed will qualify for regular treatment with a podiatrist. For referrals from GP practices, the application form is available in electronic format from the CCG, or you can refer direct from SystmOne using the “Suffolk Podiatry Electronic Referral” template
• Self referrals – We currently accept referrals direct from the patient or the parent or guardian of children aged 5 years or older. To make a referral, go to podiatryreferrals.co.uk/

In order for us to process your referral and provide the best possible care, we need to gather personal information about you.

Our online referral system guides you through the process by asking a series of questions about you, your medical history and your foot related problem.

By proceeding with your referral online, you are giving us consent to collect and store your information. Please be assured that your data will be stored securely, will only be used for your care and will remain confidential.

For more information on data protection in our organisation please click on the following link: suffolkfed.org.uk/suffolk-gp-federation-and-data-protection

FAQs

Will my referral be accepted?

Your referral may be rejected and the application returned to you if:

1) The patient is under the age of 5 years old

2) If the referral form has not been completed properly. In order to process your referral we need your name, address, date of birth, telephone number and the reason why you want to see a podiatrist.

What should I expect from my appointment?

Every patient receives an initial assessment from a fully qualified Podiatrist. The outcome of this assessment will decide the type of treatment that you may receive in the future. Please be aware that regular access to podiatry care on the NHS is determined by how severe a patient’s underlying medical conditions are and whether they are likely to develop a complication that could be severely life changing or require hospital care, unless they receive regular podiatry treatment.

Can I contact the podiatry office directly?

The podiatry office can be contacted on the following number:

01473 921828

Please be aware that this telephone number may not be staffed at all times and you may be asked to leave an answerphone message so that we can return your call.

The Podiatry office can also be contacted by e-mail at the following address: sgpfed.suffolk-podiatry@nhs.net

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