Page 12 - Community Health mag issue 2

complicated conditions resulting from
the complications of diabetes, peripheral
vascular disease and all forms of arthritis.
The team treats both children and adults.
Podiatry is offered at 49 locations across
Kent. Patients can self-refer, ask their GP
or healthcare professional for a referral,
or use the Choose and Book system
(www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk).
At the first appointment, the team will
assess and diagnose the condition and then
put together a treatment plan,
which can include exercise,
advice on changes to
footwear or tips on
how to care for
their feet.
For some people,
the assessment may
include having insoles,
to support the foot and
help reduce pain or to
correct gait. For Jim, it means
Caroline cutting away the bad tissue from
his feet and applying a wound dressing
to clean and treat any ulcers; preventing
infection and attempting to reduce the
likelihood of further amputations.
Caroline said: “Smoking, like diabetes,
can limit the blood supply to your feet and
cause a loss of feeling. This can mean foot
injuries do not heal well, and the lack of
feeling means you may not notice if your
foot is sore or injured.”
Head of Service, Cathy Bellman, said:
“In an average lifetime, a person will walk
about two-and-a-half times around the
world – so we put our feet under great
stress, which can result in numerous
debilitating complications.
“Our aim is to maintain mobility,
alleviate pain and reduce the risk of
infection and ulceration. For patients with
high-risk medical complaints or complex
foot problems, this can mean acting quickly
to prevent amputation.
“We also hold specialist biomechanical
clinics where we can analyse the way people
walk or run by using pressure monitors or
a treadmill. Doing this enables us to study
any abnormal movement and assess the

our c LINIcs

effectiveness of insoles.”
It’s this clinic that
has helped eight-year-old Lola, who has
Beck Wiedemann Syndrome, which was
diagnosed at birth.
Mum Marie explained: “Basically it
means her left side of her body is bigger
than the right. At the moment, her left leg
is six centimetres longer than the right, so
walking is a problem. She has to have a
raised shoe and an orthotic in the shoe to
help her.
“It’s an unusual
condition and what
I have been most
impressed by is the
team’s determination
to try different
treatment options
until they’ve got it
right for her. She’s more
comfortable now.”

‘In an average lifetime,
a person will walk about
two-and-a-half times
around the world’

Jim Davey.

Taking care of your tootsies

Retired bus driver Jim Davey
has been coming to the
podiatry clinic in Herne Bay
for the past five years as he
suffers from poor circulation.
T

he 72-year-old granddad, who
started smoking at the age of 12,
has had seven toes amputated
because of the habit. Smoking is
harmful to the blood circulation to your feet
and can result in poor blood flow and parts
of the foot dying.
Each week, Jim visits podiatrist Caroline
Du Toit, Clinical Lead for Minor Surgery and
Physical Therapies, or other colleagues from
the Podiatry Team, who have all had three
years degree-level training.
The Kent-wide team specialises in all
aspects of foot health, from common foot
problems such as in-growing nails and nail
deformities, corns and calluses to more

PAGE 12 www.kentcht.nhs.uk

Podiatrist Caroline Du Toit.

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