Diabetes Foot Care Pathway for Northern Ireland
The Diabetes Foot Care Pathway for Northern Ireland is a four-step programme that offers a service for adults living with diabetes. If you have diabetes, you should have your foot care plan. This plan should be reviewed every year by your local podiatry team.
About the diabetes foot care pathway
The diabetes foot care pathway has been produced by The Diabetes Network for Northern Ireland.
The network brings together people living with diabetes, carers, and health and social care professionals working in partnership with Diabetes UK to improve diabetes services.
There are four steps to the pathway:
- foot screening
- foot protection team (community-based)
- enhanced foot protection team (hospital-based)
- multi-disciplinary diabetes foot team (based at the Royal Victoria Hospital)
If you have diabetes, you should have your foot care plan reviewed every year by your local podiatry team.
Your feet are very important. You should check them every day. Your podiatrist will guide you on how.
Step 1: foot screening
If you already live with diabetes or have been recently diagnosed, you will be assessed by a podiatrist or podiatry assistant.
An individual care plan will then be agreed with you.
You will be screened once a year to check your foot health.
You will receive information on who to contact should you have any concerns about your feet.
If problems are identified during your review you will be referred to step two of the pathway.
Step 2: foot protection team (community-based)
A community-based team offers early treatment and advice when a problem is identified.
You will see a podiatrist at your local centre and a treatment plan will be discussed and agreed with them.
If your problem doesn’t improve you will be referred to step three of the pathway.
If you have any concerns contact your local podiatrist.
Step 3: enhanced foot protection team (hospital-based)
Once you have been referred, specialist hospital support is given at this stage. You will see a podiatrist at your local hospital.
Your problem will be continually assessed and treatment delivered by the most suitable team.
If you require further specialist treatment you will be referred to step four of the pathway.
Step 4: multi-disciplinary diabetes foot team
Foot problems that need treatment fast or are complex will be treated by the multi-disciplinary diabetes foot team.
The team is based at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
Your local team will discuss your foot health with the regional multi-disciplinary diabetes foot team and you may be seen by the team in the Royal Victoria Hospital.