Department of Podiatry – Community Services.
Solihull Community Services Podiatry department have been actively seeking to address support for service users due to the Covid -19 response. The Podiatry Service is now seeking to refocus and prioritise care provided.
We are continuing to support our most vulnerable patients by providing urgent wound care, this includes active foot infection which may be of an acute or chronic nature. This places a significant demand on the service as patients require more comprehensive and multiprofessional support as well as more frequent attendance.
We are focusing on our efforts on restoring the service as much as we can, however you will find that there are significant changes and constraints to the service in terms of location that we provide service from, the process to attend for an appointment and we are now seeking to support patients and carers via telehealth solutions such as video or telephone consultation as much as possible.
You may not receive an initial face to face appointment due to the processes that are now in place to support patient care.
Introduction
Solihull Community Services NHS podiatry Department are commissioned to provide care for the foot health needs of the population of Solihull who are registered with a Solihull General Practitioner.
The NHS Service provides assessment, diagnosis, advice and treatment planning to support those service users who are identified as Moderate, High risk or those with active foot ulceration only. We do not provide any biomechanical or orthotic assessment within community Podiatry.
The NHS service is run from 5 clinical locations within the Solihull area:
- Grove Road clinic
- Shirley Clinic
- Freshfields clinic
- Balsall Common
- Smithswood Clinic
We also offer home visits to those who are housebound and have a strict criteria for offering these appointments.
All of our Podiatrists are Health Care Professions Council registered practitioners and are supported by a dedicated team of foot care assistants and administrative support.
The office base for community Podiatry is currently based within Chelmsley wood Primary Care Centre, Crabtree Drive, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham B37 5BU. All of our referrals are dealt with from one single site and our appointments are managed from this same centre.
Our e mail address is: uhb-tr.hoeftpodiatry@nhs.net
Our telephone number is: 0121 717 4330
Who is it for and what happens when I am referred?
Referral to the service will need to be made by a registered health practitioner, typically a GP but could be a Nurse or other health care worker. Click here for the Referral form
Upon receipt the referral will be registered onto our patient management system and then clinically triaged against our locally agreed service specification by a Senior Podiatrist. Information contained within the referral is used to risk stratify the referral and is critical to podiatrist, any omission in this detail may delay the triage.
| Risk | Type of clinic to attend | Waiting time ( maximum) |
| Moderate risk | Offered the local clinic of choice | 12 weeks |
| High risk | Offered first available appointment which may not be preferred choice | 4 weeks |
| Ulcerated/ active foot disease. | Offered first available appointment which may not be preferred choice | 24 working hours. |
Please note those referrals which are classed as ‘low risk’ will be screened out at point of triage- a letter will be written to you explaining the reason and offer alternative choices for seeking professional treatment.
If your referral is accepted you will be written to, to advise that you should contact us for an appointment; however if your referral suggests that you need to be seen urgently we will make contact with you on the telephone number provided on the referral.
If you do not make contact with us within 3 weeks from writing to you to invite you to book an appointment we will assume that you no longer require our services and as such discharge you from the service.
What happens at my appointment?
At you first appointment the Podiatrist will assess your foot health needs and also risk categorise you foot health needs. Your appointment will always include:
- An update on your medical history
- Medication taken
- An understanding of what are the issues with your feet.
- Assessment of your foot pulses
- A check on the protective sensation within your feet.
- Advice on how you are able to support your own foot health needs, which may include footwear advice, use of creams and/or a foot file.
- An explanation of your risk status
- Whether you need to return or advice on alternative providers.
- How to book any follow up appointment.
Useful websites
Society of chiropodists and podiatrists
