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"Lack of diabetic feet inspection"

About: Adult Health & Support Services / Diabetes and Endocrinology Service

(as the patient),

I received a letter and photocopied basic instructions from Adult Diabetes Service Manager NHS Lanarkshire.

This letter is appalling, you have refused to give vital inspection that requires training and experience and passing it on to patients with no medical training.

Ultimately, I feel this will lead to serious errors and cost the NHS more money and pain for patients. My diabetes has not gone away, my feet still have high instep and still wear prescription insoles, neither has numbness in feet and legs or poor blood circulation or damage to legs, walking distance greatly reduced. Pain in feet, legs, knees and back is constant.

The newest change is I now often can't move my legs due to knees usually after being at work for a week, I am prescribed pain killers and doctor did not contact me after knees x-rays, it was left to reception staff who advised if pain gets worse phone at 8:30 am.

I am unable to bend enough to carry out inspection and I think you are crossing a line expecting patients to ask family or friends to touch feet.

You stopped Podiatry, now you stopped feet inspection, you appear to have stopped treatment, I am not surprised senior staff member did not leave contact details in letter.

I find this is unacceptable, unprofessional and medical neglect. I have no doubt you will come up with a brilliant reason for this scheme, or you could stop and think what you are doing, A Nation with poor Health because of poor Service, and no one seems to care.

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Responses

Response from June Currie, Service Manager, Diabetes & Endocrinology, South Lanarkshire Health & Social Care Partnership 7 months ago
June Currie
Service Manager, Diabetes & Endocrinology,
South Lanarkshire Health & Social Care Partnership
Submitted on 04/09/2024 at 18:19
Published on Care Opinion on 05/09/2024 at 07:59


Hello

I would like to apologise firstly for a late response - I have been on leave.

I am also very sorry that you are unhappy with the content and context of this letter, as well as the foot screening tool that was sent to you.

I believe you have also contacted Patient Affairs and I had planned to contact you by phone tomorrow.

To provide a bit of background to this tool ... it is based on a nationally approved format, which has also been assessed by the Scottish Diabetes Foot Group as being appropriate to use for people with a known low risk of diabetic foot disease. We have been using it now since late 2020, when it became difficult for us to review patients in person, and have continued to review its use, including carrying out our own audit in 2022.

We do highlight in the letter that it may not be suitable for everyone and we do follow up with a phone call from an experienced Foot Screener. If someone is unable to use the tool and has any current issues with their feet, we will arrange to see you in a face-to-face clinic.

I am more than happy to discuss this in person and will phone you as planned tomorrow (Thurs 5th Sept).

June Currie, Adult Diabetes Service Manager, NHS Lanarkshire

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by felixthecat (the patient)

Today I attended Hairmyres Podiatry really nice and knowledgeable staff, great advice. Shame they are left to tidy up the mess caused by management - you have brilliant staff, listen to them and gain a great efficient service.

Also attended by orthotics to get new insoles great. When management interfere with systems so much patients then have to find out which condition is causing pain not easy. Let the staff do their jobs.

Thank you all.

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