AHA Link-2024-2 July-August - Flipbook - Page 11
Podiatrists seek better collaboration with the NHS
The Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) says
that independent podiatry services play a vital
yet undervalued role in UK healthcare and
collaboration with the NHS needs urgently to be
improved.
This conclusion comes from a wide-ranging report
showing the state of the independent podiatry
sector from which the College seeks to:
• Achieve better public awareness – with a
campaign to help patients understand the
expertise of podiatrists and how to access private
practice care when it’s appropriate, reducing
unnecessary GP visits
• Increasing business support for independent
practitioners – developing additional resources
and training to equip independent practitioners
with essential business management skills
• Improving NHS collaboration and referral
pathways –working with healthcare leaders in
all four nations to campaign for clearer, more
effective referral processes.
Professor Jane McAdam, Chair of the RCPod
Council, commented: “With the provision of
private healthcare increasing in the UK, the
RCPod has published this vital state of the nation
report highlighting the significant impact that
independent practitioners have on the podiatric
workforce.
“Council represents the whole membership – I
look forward to using this report to improve the
collaboration between all of our members, improve
business support and campaign for a greater
understanding of the ways in which greater working
relationships between independent practice and
the NHS can produce better patient outcomes and
reduce the strain on general practice.”
‘Patch’ teddies helping
to save the planet
Theatres matron, Colin Brady, at Frimley Health
NHS Foundation Trust, won lots of plaudits recently
when he posted this:
‘It went from a mad cap idea, to people saying
it can’t be done and it would never work! But
today we took delivery of our first batch of ‘patch’
teddies. They are made solely from the sterile
wrap transport waste from operating sets which
otherwise would have been incinerated.’
He appreciated the help from MYGroup,
Johnson&Johnson and the Florence Nightingale
Foundation. Over to you, ODPs.
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