Podiatrist

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happydog

happydog

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Went to see a new podiatrist today. She spent ages checking my feet and says that all is well 🙂
I think it is the best appointment I have ever had and well worth £20. GP Surgery do not really examine my feet other than to tap with a pencil on the sole of the foot and comment on how thin they are. Has anyone else had their achilles tendon examined as part of their foot examination?
 
Good to hear you had a good appointment, although really it shouldn't be something you have to pay for, as a diabetic. I've had various 'levels' of examination = some quick and cursory, some quite extensive, there doesn't appear to be consistency. However, I don't have to pay and it's a proper podiatrist. Never had my achilles examined though, did they explain why?
 
Glad it went well Happydog, although I agree you shouldn't have to pay. That said a lot of CCGs have now removed podiatry from their funding regime so anything other than a cursory check is nigh on impossible. I had my Achilles checked when I had my foot check with rheumatology (because they don't consider the diabetic check thorough enough), it's to check for ligament laxity in my case (because I am at increased risk of Charcot foot). Glucose infiltrating the muscle and tendons can lead to hyper extension (too much stretching) which is thought to be related to Charcot foot. That's why I couldn't walk when I came out of DKA, my muscles and tendons hyperextended anyway so loss of muscle and additional hyper extension made for a rare old pickle. The Achilles' tendon is the easiest one to check because it's accessible and you can feel it. I assume that's why your podiatrist included it?
 
Good to hear you had such a through check.I have not seen one for a few years and I used to pay around £30, so it was good value too!
 
Sounds good and well worth £20. People with diabetes are supposed to be seen annually by a podiatrist, but my son has only had one proper foot examination in over 10 years of type 1. The examination is supposed to include use of a Doppler machine to detect three separate pulses in the foot (where the main artery divides somewhere near the ankle). Thankfully after 4 years of the GP nurse tapping his toe with a tuning fork while he watched and asking if he could feel it, we have another proper podiatry appointment in London. It will cost us in both time and train fares (we don't live in London!), but needs must!
 
Glad to hear you had a proper podiatry appointment happydog and got reassurance and peace of mind that all is well. £10 per foot is well worth it 🙂

It frustrates me to read of anyone with diabetes struggling to get or not being offered vital foot checks, from experience I know they are priceless.
 
Flower said:
Glad to hear you had a proper podiatry appointment happydog and got reassurance and peace of mind that all is well. £10 per foot is well worth it 🙂

It frustrates me to read of anyone with diabetes struggling to get or not being offered vital foot checks, from experience I know they are priceless.
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Flower, how are your feet at the moment?
 
Thanks for the achilles explanation KC. She also took all my history and asked if I had ever had a course of steroids as she says this can cause diabetes. Did not know that. She is the first non-specialist person that I have come across who has a good grasp of diabetes.
 
I have had my feet examined up to my knees, but that was in hospital, and a Doppler machine has been used to listen to the pulses in my legs and feet. I have never had a proper foot examination from my GP surgery and was even told that a fungal on my left big toe infection was due to a vitamin deficiency
 
happydog said:
Thanks for the achilles explanation KC. She also took all my history and asked if I had ever had a course of steroids as she says this can cause diabetes. Did not know that. She is the first non-specialist person that I have come across who has a good grasp of diabetes.
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Sounds like an excellent combination that ought to be found more frequently, given that I would have thought diabetes was one of the major causes of foot problems! 🙂 It frustrates me that something that makes up the lion's share of the costs of diabetes - often avoidable amputations - is being regarded as a 'nice to have but you'll have to pay for it' - it makes no economic sense whatsoever! :( £20 for a thorough and professional examination is indeed a good price to pay, but there must be thousands of people who simply could not afford to pay it, or would see it as some sort of unaffordable luxury, and they are probably the people who will end up costing the NHS the most :(
 
Just received a letter to make appointment to see Podiatrist, is this a chargeable service or not,it at my local hospital
 
brijix said:
Just received a letter to make appointment to see Podiatrist, is this a chargeable service or not,it at my local hospital
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If they haven't mentioned any charges then I would expect it to be free, particularly if it is at your local hospital 🙂
 
Worrying how many people struggle to get access to free podiatry services-even if the cost is fairly low sure its off-putting for a lot of people. Know from our Diabetes Voices access varies a lot across the country too. It is something a lot of people have written to their CCGs or MPs about, which might be worth considering if your having problems-can be surprisingly effective! Loads of stuff on footcare on the Diabetes UK site too of course

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Get_involved/Campaigning/Our-campaigns/Putting-feet-first/
 
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