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Hi All, I Have Just Found Out On Another Podiatry Forum(tfs) That In A Certain Areas, (not Named) Nhs Podiatry Depts Are Sending Out Referrals To Pp For Routine Care.

I Don't Know If This Is True, But I Think It Would Be A Great Idea!!!

Everyone Would Be Happy!!!

Lowered Nhs Waiting Times!!!
Everyone Would Get The Service They Require!!!
No one Would Suffer!!!

Is This The Answer?

Hi (ok to say "thatfootsite" on this forum by the way).
Pro's are as you say.
Cons are as outlined by Alex Catto in the "How do practitioners calculate their fees" thread.
Unless contracts are national (and watertight) you could end up with a chunk of your practice income being taken away with little or no notice.
You're right to be excited though. My opinion is that this is the future of podiatry in the UK - done properly :) .
Cheers,
David

Hi David,
It will be interesting to find out who will chose the PP that the NHS patients will be sent to and how they come to this choice of individual.

Ronnie

Hi,
The fact is, there are more pod patients in the UK than there are pods to deal with them. Mark Russell is very knowledgeable in this area, and he feels that to go forward with this, contracts and conditions of work would need to be sewn up at govt/DOH level.
Thereafter the patients would be free to choose who they want to go to.
Its a win-win situation :) PROVIDED contracts are watertight.
Locally-arranged contracts are of little use. They generally mean that patients can be withdrawn at a few weeks notice, and of course this is no good to anyone, either patient or podiatrist.
A few of us feel that we need to be pro-active in this area, not simply sit and "wait and see". Its worth looking at Mark's thread on Scottish Parliament and petitioning, and if you felt it worthwhile you may like to sign?
Cheers,
David