
Footcare guidance issued to support clinicians during COVID-19 crisis
New pathway guidance has been developed to support all lower-limb clinicians during the COVID-19 situation in line with current best practice.
The Lower Limb Amputation Prevention Guidance has been drafted by expert clinicians from the organisation Foot in Diabetes UK (FDUK). It has been designed to assist the identification and management of people with critical/limb-threatening ischaemia or infection.
The aim is to focus on clinical assessment and decisions on urgent triage, referrals and access to High Risk Foot Podiatry, Hospital Vascular, Diabetes Foot, Infectious Diseases or Orthopaedic/Podiatric Surgeon Teams, for potential life and limb-saving treatments.
FDUK’s Chair Graham Bowen, who is also Clinical Lead for Podiatry at the Adelaide Health Centre in Southampton, said: “We’ve developed this pathway guidance in accordance with the NHS clinical guide, which has emphasised the importance of virtual clinics and remote consultations to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
“However, there are some conditions, such as diabetic foot, which do require a clinician to examine their patient. If people with diabetes and significant foot problems are ignored or they miss their appointment then this could lead to dire consequences, such as amputation or infection, which would further put more pressure on the NHS.”
FDUK is dedicated to continuous improvement in the care and management of people with diabetic foot problems.
To access the pathway document, click here.
Picture credit:How-Soon Ngu