Community Podiatry
What is a Podiatrist?
A podiatrist is a healthcare professional who looks after problems with the feet, ankles and lower legs.
They are trained to diagnose, treat and help prevent foot problems. This includes reducing pain, treating foot conditions and giving advice on foot care and footwear.
Podiatrists work with people of all ages. Their aim is to help people stay mobile, active and independent, and to improve quality of life.
Podiatrists are allied health professionals. They are registered with, and regulated by, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Podiatry service in Nottinghamshire
The Nottinghamshire Podiatry Service provides care for people with both short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) foot problems.
The community podiatry service offers:
- Treatment for hard skin, corns and nail problems for people with high risk feet
- Care for foot ulcers, including removing dead or damaged skin from the wound (debridement) and pressure relief (offloading)
- Assessment and treatment for foot pain and walking problems, including advice, insoles and steroid injections
- Nail surgery to remove part or all of a painful nail, such as an ingrowing toenail (under local anaesthetic)
What does 'high risk' mean?
Feet are described as 'high risk' when someone has a medical condition that makes foot problems more serious or harder to heal.
Examples include:
- Diabetes with nerve damage or poor circulation
- Problems with blood flow
- Nerve damage
- Inflammatory arthritis
- A weakened immune system
People with these conditions are more likely to develop infections or foot ulcers.
Who can access NHS podiatry?
Anyone registered with a Nottinghamshire GP may be able to access NHS podiatry if they have a foot problem.
However, NHS podiatry services must focus on people with the greatest clinical need. This means treatment is offered based on both medical conditions and foot health risk.
Unfortunately, routine foot care or simple nail cutting cannot be provided for people who do not have a medical condition affecting their foot health or who have only minor foot problems.
Accessing our service
Referral to the podiatry service can be made by your GP, Practice Nurse, Community Nurse or a Healthcare Professional.
You can also self-refer into the service. A referral form needs to be completed:
- GP - Health professional Podiatry referral form.docx [docx] 53KB
- Podiatry Service - Patient Self-Referral Form
The completed form should be emailed to: PodCommunityAdmin@nottshc.nhs.uk.
Please include a photo of the foot / feet problems where possible.
If email access is not available, a printed copy can be sent to:
Podiatry Single point of Access (SPA)
Mansfield Community Hospital
Stockwell Gate
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 5QJ
All referrals will be triaged by the podiatry service, and will either be accepted (and an assessment appointment made), rejected, or may be returned to the referrer for more information. Priority is given to those who are deemed to have urgent problems.
Receipt of a referral does not guarantee an appointment.
Please note:
Foot conditions not eligible for NHS Podiatry: (These referrals will not be accepted)
- Toenail cutting (including difficulty reaching feet to cut nails)
- Corns, callus and other nail conditions without medical risk
- Fungal nail and skin conditions
- Verrucae
- Diabetes annual foot screening (low risk)
- No podiatric problems with feet
- Conditions originating from above the ankle
A diagnosis of diabetes alone, or requests for nail care are not sufficient reasons for referral.
Service opening hours
Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 4pm, Excluding bank holidays.
Contact and find us
For any queries or to make an appointment for Community Podiatry services across the whole of Nottinghamshire (including Bassetlaw and Nottingham City), please contact us via the Podiatry 'Single point of access':
Podiatry Single point of Access (SPA)
Mansfield Community Hospital
Stockwell Gate
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 5QJ
Tel: 01623 404615
Email: PodCommunityAdmin@nottshc.nhs.uk
Travelling to Mansfield Community Hospital
Find your way here
Use Google Maps to find the best route to Mansfield Community Hospital.
Bus
You can get to the site using various Stagecoach and Trent Barton bus routes:
- Nottingham - Mansfieldwelcome - threes - run by trentbarton
- Derby - Mansfield welcome - nines - run by trentbarton
- Ilkeston - Mansfieldwelcome - 33 - run by trentbarton
- 1 Bus Route and Timetable: Mansfield Woodhouse - Alfreton | Stagecoach
- 141 Bus Route and Timetable: Sutton in Ashfield - Nottingham | Stagecoach
- 6 Bus Route and Timetable: Ladybrook - Bull Farm Mansfield | Stagecoach
Bike
There is no designated cycling storage available on site.
You can plan your journey online by visiting the CycleStreets website.
Cycling to our sites is not only carbon emission free but is also excellent for physical and mental wellbeing.
Train
The nearest train station is Mansfield Town (0.3 miles).
For help planning your journey please visit: Plan Your Journey | Traveline
Parking
There are designated pay and display car parks for public parking run by Sherwood Forest Hospitals.
Help with an urgent foot problem
You should seek help if you notice any:
- Break in the skin or cut that doesn't heal within a few days.
- Signs of infection. Change in colour, heat, swelling, pus, smell or pain.
- New pus or bleeding from an ulcer, wound, corn, callus or toe-nails and where you are not aware of any trauma.
- Changes in colour to your feet to red, blue, purple, black.
- Sudden change in foot shape.
- Unusual pain, heat or swelling in your feet, particularly if you have neuropathy.
If you are registered with the podiatry department, contact the Podiatry 'Single Point of Access' on 01623 404615 and explain that you have an urgent foot problem. They will ask for more information and may arrange for a podiatrist to call you back.
If you are currently not registered with the podiatry department, then it is important that you contact your GP surgery and explain that you have an urgent foot problem. They should arrange for someone to get in touch with you or offer an urgent appointment.
Out of hours and weekends
If you are unable to contact the Podiatry service or your GP surgery, then contact NHS 111, either by dialling 111 from your phone, or going to 111.nhs.uk. Explain that you have an urgent foot problem. They will ask for more information, and advise on what you need to do.
Information for health professionals
To make a referral please use SystmOne or email PodCommunityAdmin@nottshc.nhs.uk for a copy of the referral form.
All referrals will be triaged by the podiatry service and will either be accepted (and an assessment appointment made), rejected, or may be returned to the referrer for more information. Priority is given to those who are deemed to have urgent problems.
Receipt of a referral does not guarantee an appointment.
Please note:
Foot conditions not eligible for NHS Podiatry: (These referrals will not be accepted)
- Toenail cutting (including difficulty reaching feet to cut nails)
- Corns, callus and other nail conditions without medical risk
- Fungal nail and skin conditions
- Verrucae
- Diabetes annual foot screening (low risk)
- No podiatric problems with feet
- Conditions originating from above the ankle
A diagnosis of diabetes alone or requests for nail care are not sufficient reasons for referral.
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