Blog About Healthcare

Archive for August, 2011

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has been set up in the UK to help protect the general public when seeking advice and treatment from a health professional.

The HPC, as it is also known, is a regulator of health professionals. They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards for training, skills, behaviour and health in the area of medicine or health care the health professional practices in.

The HPC regulates fifteen health professions: arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists / podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists / orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists.

These professions all possess at least one ‘professional’ title which is protected by law, this means that anyone who uses one of these titles must be registered with the HPC. It is a criminal offence in the UK for someone to claim they are registered with the HPC when they are not, and they can be prosecuted by the HPC if this happens.

 

Clubs & Societies

Some health professions also have an additional society which health professionals may be a member of, in Podiatry and Chiropody this is the Society of Chiropodist and Podiatrists.

Those wishing to join this society need to be HPC registered before applying. This ensures all professionals are already vetted and are qualified to work under the title of Podiatrist or Chiropodist in the UK.

To check whether a Podiatrist or Chiropodist (or other health professional) is registered with the HPC, you can ask for their registered number and search for them online here: http://www.hpc-uk.org/

If you have any doubts about your health professional, it is definitely worth checking up before you begin treatment.

Information sourced from The HPC Website.

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Podiatry and Chiropody is usually carried out in a health clinic but in some cases a home visit is necessary. An example of this is Lilypad Podiatry which is run by myself, Rebecca Parker, a Chiropodist in Worcester, England. I have worked along side other Chiropodists in Worcester for several years and there are some important things to know before you look for a home visit Chriopodist.

As a professional health worker, a Podiatrist or Chiropodist in the UK should be registered with the Health Professions Council, they will have a reference number which you can check online or by calling the HPC on (0)20 7840 9802.

What is a Podiatry Home Visit?

A home visit Podiatry appointment initially consists of an assessment interview. Information is acquired and details are observed and then recorded onto a personal record file: This includes the presenting foot complaint and medical history, including any medication currently being taken and the patient’s current health status.

An assessment interview is extremely important so that the correct podiatry treatment and management plan can be written up.

The next part of the appointment consists of the Podiatrist or Chiropodistperforming an observational and clinical examination. This consists of looking at the patient’s vascular and neurological status, their skin and nail health, and additionally the type of footwear being worn. In some cases a gait analysis may be performed. (Merriman and Tollafield 1996)

Management Plan

Following this assessment, the patient will be required to sign a consent form. This ensures the patient is happy to have their feet treated. The Podiatrist will be able to answer any questions or concerns throughout the appointment.

In some cases other conditions of the lower limb can be diagnosed and may need referral to another health professional, this can be arranged with the patient’s consent within a visit. The Podiatry treatment will then commence whether that be the cutting and/or the reduction of nails, the removal of callus and corns and the treatment of veruccae.. etc.

The podiatrist will then build a long term management plan to suit the individual’s needs, and will work out how often would be suitable to return for the next visit. They will provide any foot health information a patient may require.

Type of patients Podiatrists treat on a Home Visit

Podiatrists mainly see the housebound on a home visit, these are people who cannot get out and about due to being elderly or due to illness or injury.

Podiatrist’s routinely visit nursing homes, hospitals, care and day centres and residential properties, to provide podiatry treatment for those who cannot or find it difficult to travel to visit a Podiatrist in a clinical setting.

How long will a Home Visit last?

Generally, a Podiatrist’s home visit lasts around thirty minutes, this is according to the treatment which is required. A first appointment can be a little longer due to paperwork requirements and the initial assessment.

For more complicated procedures more time should be allowed, but this can be arranged to suit the patient’s needs.

Are Podiatry Home Visits more expensive?

It is sometimes slightly more expensive to have a home visit, as the Podiatrist may need to cover traveling expenses and the time taken to travel between patients.

Article by R. Parker, BSc (Hons) MChS. Lilypad Podiatry (Podiatrist in Worcester).

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