Community Podiatry

What is a Podiatrist?

Podiatrists are highly skilled health care professionals trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease and complications of the feet, ankles and lower limbs.

They can help prevent and manage foot problems, relieve pain, and provide advice on foot care and footwear to keep people of all ages mobile and active, and improve quality of life.

Podiatrists are allied health professionals, who are registered with and regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Podiatry Service

The Podiatry Service in Nottinghamshire offers a range of services for patients with acute (new) and chronic (long-term) foot problems.

The community podiatry service currently provides:

Podiatric treatment such as debridement of hard skin and corns, and nail care for people at high risk (see section ‘What is high risk?’).
Foot ulcer management including debridement and offloading.
Biomechanical assessment, advice, insole provision and steroid injections for people with musculoskeletal foot pain (pain in bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves of the feet) and gait (walking) problems.
Nail surgery - procedure to remove part / all of nail plate of painful problematic nails, i.e. ingrowing toenails (completed under local anaesthetic).

What is high risk?

The term ‘high-risk’ is used to describe medical conditions and foot problems which can make the feet more vulnerable to complications such as infections and ulcers.

Examples include diabetes with associated neuropathy and / or peripheral arterial disease, circulatory disorders, neurological deficit, inflammatory arthritis, low immunity.

Who can access NHS podiatry? (Eligibility criteria)

Anyone registered with a Nottinghamshire GP with a foot problem may be able to access podiatry. However, to ensure that those in greatest need receive NHS podiatry services, eligibility criteria have to be applied. These are based on both medical and podiatric need.

Unfortunately, this means that we are unable to provide routine podiatry treatment or simple nail care for people who do not have a medical condition that impacts on their foot health or have a minor foot problem.

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:

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

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

Referrals to the podiatry service can be made by healthcare professionals by completing a referral form.

GP - Health professional Podiatry referral form.docx [docx] 53KB