Diabetes Podiatry
Outpatient Service
Specialist assessment and treatment service for patients with:
- New foot ulceration (with/without infection)
- Suspected Charcot Arthropathy
- Suspected lower limb osteomyelitis
Diabetes patients presenting with any of the above conditions should be referred to the Podiatry team within 24 hours of presentation.
Referrals can be made using the Diabetic Foot Multidisciplinary Team (Diabetic Multidisciplinary Foot Referral Form) which can be emailed to plh-tr.MultiDisciplinaryPodiatry@nhs.net or hand delivered to the Diabetes Centre on Level 6, Derriford Hospital. This service covers Plymouth, South Hams, West Devon and East Cornwall.
- Patients with suspected acute or critical limb ischaemia should be referred to the Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) on 01752 245060.
- Patients with suspected acute infection should be referred to the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) on 01752 245065.
For patients living in Cornwall they can be referred to the Cornwall podiatry service using this form 2017 Podiatry Referral Form Electronic2 Cornwall.pdf
Inpatient Service
Specialist assessment and treatment advice for Diabetes patients admitted with:
- Foot ulceration/necrosis
- Newly acquired foot wounds
- Suspected Charcot Arthropathy
- Suspected lower limb infection
Diabetes patients admitted via ED with foot ulceration or suspected Charcot Arthropathy should be referred to Podiatry as soon as possible.
Referrals can be made to the inpatient service using the Ward referral for Diabetes Podiatry .
- Patients presenting with suspected acute or critical limb ischaemia should be referred to the on-call Vascular Surgeon via Switchboard.
Antibiotic prescribing for Diabetes patients presenting with suspected infected foot ulceration should be carried out with consideration of the local protocol Management of infection in the diabetic foot.pdf. Inpatient areas should be aware of the local protocol Inpatient Diabetic Foot & Leg Ulcer & Foot Infection.
Information for Diabetes patients
Referral into the Diabetes Specialist Podiatry service at Derriford Hospital can only be made via a GP or registered Healthcare Professional. However, if you are concerned that you may have foot complications, the Podiatry team are happy to provide advice and guidance.
For more information, please follow the link below to the Diabetes UK website which provides further advice and guidance on complications of the Diabetic foot.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Complications/Feet/
Please also see links to patient information leaflets on the Diabetic foot.
Diabetes Basic Foot Care Advice Leaflet
