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Bel is your little example something to be concerned about?

I apologise in advance for going off topic, but a prime example of this is their perceived lack of objection to my local NHS trust which has displayed posters in all the health centres for a “Fee Paying Podiatry Service” ;

http://www.solent.nhs.uk/ServiceCatInfo.asp?id=209

The bullet point which irks me the most on the poster is “Are you paying expensive fees?” Followed by the unrealistic advertised fees of treatment offered at £10.00. Private practitioners in Hampshire cannot compete with this and are closing shop as a direct result of this advertising campaign. Remind me again of why we pay our professional body fees?

As my time is split between the UK and the USA I find it difficult to keep up to date, but I believe the Society are not silent on this situation, it is however possibly the fore runner of the future of Podiatry.

I understand it is all to do with the proposed Health and Social Care Bill, and the introduction of Any Qualified Provider (AQP).

This is all very complicated perhaps someone with more knowledge than I have could elaborate.

Joe

 

Hi Joe,

I checked the link which included the following:

Fee Paying Podiatry provides the following services:
Nail Treatment £10.00
Corns and Callus Treatment £20.00
Personal Nail Care Instruments £8.00

If (although I could find nothing specified in info') the patient has to purchase the 'personal instruments' each appt. then the nail cutting service appears similar to the 'Simply Nails' treatments offered by some pods. Also in my area (South Yorkshire) a routine podiatry appt. for 'routine' care is in region of £28.00 - £30.00 ish.

Intersted to know if this is being offered as a side earner for the NHS or by podiatrists in PP who have tendered for a contract? Interested in others knowledge/opinions.

Kind regards,

Mandy.

 

Hello Twirly,
Could I just point out that the "Simply Toenails" system that you refer to ( which has been promoted by the SCP) does not involve the patient buying their own set of instruments.

Making the patient buy a set of personal instruments is a ploy that allows some Social Enterprise organisations to abdicate responsibility for cross-contamination and infection control and passes it to the service user. ( It also creates a nice income stream for the organisation.)

This, IMO, is totally unacceptable.

regards

Catfoot

 

I attended a local NRAS day with my mother earlier this year. the local NHS Podiatrists were also in attendance where they stated " we no longer do social nail care" but then indicated the leaflets on their stand which advertised the use of a local organisation (I think it was Help the Aged) who had people 'trained' to cut nails (no other treatments available) and they would cut your toenails for £7.50, the patient had to buy the instruments at the first appointment and bring them along to subsequent appointments, but all those subsequent treatments would be for £7.50.
Firstly - How as a private podiatrist am I expected to compete with this?
and
secondly - How many RH patients do you know that only need their nails cutting?

 

Not overly, life is too short :drinks

 

Joe,

In my opinion this is the future of Podiatry and whilst it isn't a threat to the stability of the private market as yet, it will be. Belinda has already pointed out private practitioners in Hampshire cannot compete and are closing shop.

This is how I see it - we are in a situation where the Health and Social Care Bill sees local clinical commissioning groups being developed and PCT's, who normally commission local services, being done away with. Transforming Community Services has led onto developing a situation which introduces patient choice when patients will be able to choose where to obtain their treatment. This allows private service providers to get involved under Any Qualified Provider.

We know that Podiatry is right in the forefront of this transition. We are seeing our NHS colleagues going through massive changes within their departments - band 8 jobs being wiped out, band 7 jobs being cut and band 7 Pods having to re-apply for their posts with unsuccessful applicants being down graded or worse having to reapply for band 6 positions. As someone said to me recently, same service, same patients just being done for a lot less money.

We have seen low risk footcare being redefined by the NHS and service provision stopped under the disguise of no funding. In my opinion this has fragmented the Podiatry Profession and we have sat back and let it happen.

As a result of opening the market to different service providers local tariffs are likely to develop on national guidelines. The tariffs may be set too low to enable a profit to be made, again making it very difficult for the traditional private practitioner to compete and therefore survive.

The one criteria which is still being upheld by service commissioners is that Any Qualified Providers must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that the majority of private practitioners are immediately prevented from becoming an AQP unless their practices are within GP surgeries, health centres, nursing/residential homes or dental practices. The CQC has no plans to commence inspection and registration of Podiatry Practices. For most traditional private practitioners the costs of CQC inspection is probably prohibitive unless practices amalgamate.

So with a break in the traditional controlling hierarchy in the NHS the AQP system is allowing NHS departments to innovate and develop new income streams. This is where I believe that the Solent NHS fee paying Podiatry Service is ahead of the game. They can mop up the private market, they can compete under AQP and they can be commissioned to provide NHS services.

Excellent!

But what do we do about it? Sit back and moan or do we join forces and fight?

GB

 

George,

"join forces and fight".

I have never seen any evidence of Podiatrists joining forces and think that Bel's attitude that "life is too short" typifies the position of most Private Practicing Pods.

It is only when the signaled changes hit Pods in their pockets do they wake up and complain. History would suggest that by then it's too late.

I suspect as usual it will fall on the Society to be involved in these changes and unfortunately the conflict of interest between PPs and the NHS union members will cloud the issue, both sides trying to protect their share of a finite market.

Perhaps this is where the private trainers representative bodies should take a lead? All of the information is in the public domain, just needs assembling and translating into something readily understood? Only then can strategies to work within the new environment evolve.

At the moment these moves would not appear to impinge on the domiciliary market, but could have significant implications for the Social Enterprises like Caremart and Age UK.

 

Joe,

I think you may have misunderstood my post. You asked if I should be "concerned" and my reply of "not overly" is merely a reflection of my personal circumstance at this moment in time. I have more pressing issues to deal with. My "attitude" is not one of lethargy or apathy, why else would I have brought it to attention?

I understand that the Society is aware of the situation here, yet as you point out, they are caught between the interest of private practictioners and the NHS union members. Nothing new under the sun. History also suggests that the private practitioner`s voice will again be ignored as discharged patients (who no longer fulfill NHS podiatry criteria) will/are directed to the “Fee Paying Podiatry Service” instead of us, just as they have been directed to Age Concern for the past few years.

But I`m still not going to lose sleep over it

 

Belinda,

Pax?

I did not intend to cast aspersions on you, but it does seem that the majority of Pods do have more 'pressing' issues than those of Pod Politics.

This I think is why the Society have such a hold on the direction of the profession and have on many occasions stifled the voices of 'challenging' private practitioners.

I'm surprised Mark has not engaged, I would have thought this was a situation close to his heart.

 

Julian: "What say you Dick we have a little tussle to see who get's the last cucumber sandwich?"
Dick: "Come on then old chap!"
(They tussle)
Dick: "Pax! Oh I say you win Julian"
Julian: "Oh terrific. I'll race you back to Aunt Fanny's!" - Blyton


Yes, my "pressing issues" are vastly more important that pod politics, but I do still get involved, as evidenced by my recent posts on independant prescribing rights. which reminds me, I must bump that thread again, thanks.

I am also not the only private practitioner to have lodged a complaint with the Society with respect to the Fee Paying Podiatry Service and in particular the manner in which it is advertised.