Diabetic man from Brentwood angry after NHS cancels his free toenail cutting

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Northerner

Northerner

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A DIABETIC Brentwood man has hit out at the NHS after it stopped funding his "absolutely essential" free toenail cuts.

Richard Enever, 66, of St Thomas Court, Queen Street, was diagnosed with diabetes just over ten years ago and has had his nails cut every three months for free at the Brentwood Community Hospital in Crescent Drive for the past six years.

But on February 6, he went in for what he believed was an appointment only to find that he was being assessed as to whether the service was needed for him.

Last week he received a letter from the hospital saying his access had been revoked as he was "not in real need" and that the service was being restructured.

http://www.brentwoodgazette.co.uk/D...cancels-free/story-26074722-detail/story.html

'restructured'='cut' :( I've never had a problem cutting my nails due to being left-handed though, perhaps someone should tell him about right-handed scissors? I can use RH scissors in either hand, but I actually use clippers for nails.
 
No wonder the country has no money ? If it is that bad for him he should go to some where & pay. Has he thought of that ?
 
There is a great left handed website where I buy all things left handed. Knives, scissors,,can opener, even a calligraphy set. N o excuse. He is just lazy.
 
So they assessed his needs and probably decided that valuable resources could be used more wisely. I really don't see how that is news unless anger now qualifies as newsworthy.
 
It probably means he hasn't got nerve damage so no reason what so ever why he shouldn't cut his own nails.
How did he manage before he developed diabetes?

"She said my feet were fine but I think still it is wrong. To me this is absolute rubbish because anyone could injure themselves. Anyone who has diabetes needs their toenails cut professionally.
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What a load of twaddle
 
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Whilst I, who actually do have nerve damage and thus need my toenails cut for me, have never been offered this. 🙄 I stubbed my toe at lunchtime and suffered a lot of bleeding; I have had an anxious afternoon waiting for my carer to have a look at it (which he did just now), but fortunately he reckoned it's just superficial.
 
robert@fm said:
Whilst I, who actually do have nerve damage and thus need my toenails cut for me, have never been offered this. 🙄 I stubbed my toe at lunchtime and suffered a lot of bleeding; I have had an anxious afternoon waiting for my carer to have a look at it (which he did just now), but fortunately he reckoned it's just superficial.
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Glad to hear it's OK Robert 🙂 It's very much a postcode lottery, I think. A couple of years ago they gave me a price list of treatments that were no longer available from them free, so it has reduced, but I know some people only get a cursory check by a practice nurse - or even worse, no checks at all :(

I must admit I was extremely impressed with the podiatry service offered here. When I first went they did all the tests, plus ordered me some thermal insoles for my shoes (fr some reason I developed chilblains after diagnosis - in summer, and despite not having had them since I was a small child!). They also offered to operate on a small problems with a slightly ingrowing toenail, which I turned down as I'd been treating it myself for 20+ years. Interestingly, the nail is almost completely better now 6 years later - I think I must have been taking better care of it 🙂 One thing that I didn't like when I think back is that she said it would be better to have the nail operation whilst my feet were in good shape, with a heavy hint that the diabetes would progress and they would get much worse.
 
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