Our services
Podiatry – foot health
About the service
Our Podiatry team are foot health experts who specialise in preventing, diagnosing and treating problems affecting the feet and lower legs. We work with children and adults across Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven who:
- have complex nail and skin problems including ingrown toenails, corns and callous
- have common muscle and bone problems such as plantar fasciitis or sports injuries (Biomechanics Specialist team)
- have foot wounds and infections (Wound Care Specialist team)
- require nail surgery using local anaesthetic (Nail Surgery Specialist team)
- are diabetic and require annual diabetic foot assessments and specialist advice.
We work very closely with other NHS teams including community nurses, GPs and practice nurses, Diabetes specialists and orthotist/mobility services. We also work with vascular and orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapy, microbiology and tissue viability specialists.
For more information on our services please click the links above, or for advice see the ‘self-care’ or ‘common foot conditions’ tabs below. Please note: we do not provide nail cutting or general footcare treatments.
How to access
Please talk to your GP, practice nurse or health professional who can refer you to us if you qualify for treatment. You can also self-refer using the form in the ‘what to expect’ tab below – we do not accept referrals for simple nailcare.
Your local podiatry clinic is equipped with specialist treatment and diagnostic equipment to provide the best quality care for you. If you are however totally housebound, we are able to offer a very limited home visit service.
The only referrals our NHS Podiatry team takes from private podiatrists are urgent referrals for foot wounds or nail surgery. For these urgent referrals, private podiatrists should please email appropriate information to Podiatry.referrals@bdct.nhs.uk.
How to find us
We have over 50 members of staff in our podiatry team working in hospitals, community clinics, nursing and residential care homes, patients’ own homes and day centres.
Contact
If you have a question about your podiatry appointment, please call us on 01274 221165, Monday-Friday 9.00am-4.00pm, or email podiatry.enquiries@bdct.nhs.uk
If you are already being seen by one of our podiatrists and are worried about an infection in your foot, please email us on the address above with a photograph and our team will be in touch.
Use the tabs below to explore this section further.
What to expect
Referral
To self-refer into the podiatry service, please use this referral form.
The more information you can provide about your foot condition will help the team to decide which area of the podiatry service you require.
Once your referral has been submitted you will be notified within 14 days if it has been accepted. You will then be sent an opt in letter asking you to call our administration team to make an appointment. If your condition is assessed as urgent, you will be contacted directly. You may be asked to provide a photograph of your foot problem.
Waiting list
We have over 40 clinic locations across Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven district so you should not have to wait long for an appointment.
Register for digital letters
Our podiatry team now offers you the option to receive your podiatry appointment letters on your smartphone, tablet or computer. To take advantage of this, you will need to register for our new patient portal, Patients Know Best (PKB).
Podiatry patients are sent an email from our Trust, with a registration link for PKB which you can use to register for this service. After registering, you can view your appointment letters on your smartphone, tablet or computer so you can:
- receive your letter quickly, no need to wait for your post, and
- help our Trust to ‘go green’, as well as reducing postage and paper costs.
Please read the frequently asked questions below to find out more about receiving digital letters with Patients Know Best (PKB).
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Is it a free service?
Yes, it’s free to register and easy to use.
Do I still get a paper copy of my letter?
If you read your digital letter in the patient portal, before your appointment date, a paper letter may not be sent to your address. Your digital letter will be available to you at any time by signing into your Patients Know Best (PKB) account. Digital letters which are not read in the portal will be sent by post.
Will I need an email address to register?
Yes. you can only use one unique email address per registration. You can’t use a family/carer shared email, if your family/carer already uses that email for their own Patients Know Best (PKB) account. If you registered using the NHS App, it will automatically use the email address linked to that account.
Do I need an internet connection?
You will need an internet enabled device and an internet connection on your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone to access your information in the patient portal.
How can I see my information?
Once you are registered, you can access your digital letters through the Patients Know Best website: https://my.patientsknowbest.com/
Why is my PKB account empty?
Some patients may not have any information in their records when they first register, however this will change over time. You can still add your own information, such as tracking your symptoms or recording any medication you take.
I’ve already registered for PKB with another Trust, can I use this log in?
If you receive some health services from a different NHS Trust, then you may already be signed up for Patients Know Best (PKB) and can continue to use the same log in details.
Is my data secure?
As a patient of Bradford District Care Trust, we will continue to hold responsibility for your data. You can choose to opt-out at any time. We use Patients Know Best (PKB) software. This meets NHS requirements for health record systems and is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Only the minimum level of data needed has been uploaded. All personal and health information stored is encrypted to help make it more secure.
Where can I get further help and support?
For technical issues only, please email the technical team at Patients Know Best help@patientsknowbest.com, or complete this form. Do not share any personal or clinical information with the team at PKB.
If you have a question about your podiatry letter, please call 01274 221165.
Self care
Who will cut my nails?
Nail surgery
Foot wounds and infections
Looking after your foot wound if you have diabetes
Diabetic foot assessment
Footcare advice for adults
Hygiene
Your feet should be washed in warm soapy water and examined daily. Thorough drying is very important, especially between your toes. If your toes are stiff or overlap, clean and dry between them with baby wipes or tissues, not a thick towel.
Moisturising
Moisturising your feet regularly will help to improve the condition of your skin – avoid moisturising between the toes as athlete’s foot can develop.
Socks
Wear clean socks or tights every day. Make sure that they fit properly at your toe and heel and are not too tight around the top.
Footwear
Well-fitting footwear should always be worn. Your shoes should be roomy at the toes with a low board heel and secure adjustable fastening over the top of your foot. It is important that your slippers fit as correctly as your shoes. ‘Sloppy shoes’ are responsible for several falls a year. See our footwear advice page for more information on footwear, measuring your feet and fitting shoes.
In the sun and on holiday
If the weather is hot you may find feet sweat and swell or your skin dries out. You may be on your feet more than at home, so remember new shoes and sandals can cause sores and blisters and walking barefoot can lead to injuries. Feet can also get sun burnt. To protect your feet:
- use moisturiser daily, especially on your heels, avoiding between the toes
- make sure new shoes fit comfortably before you go away
- be prepared – take plasters and antiseptic cream for blisters, cuts and sore spots.
- wash and dry your feet well, especially between toes
- regularly use a high factor suncream on your feet and toes
- don’t walk barefoot.
Footcare advice for children
Visit our Babies and children’s feet page for information about how your child’s feet develop, how to care for babies and children’s feet, common worries, starting to walk and first shoes, footwear and frequently asked questions.
Common foot conditions
There are many common foot conditions including athletes foot, callus, chillblains, corns, fungal infections, ingrowing and involuted nails, neuropathy, poor circulation and verruca. Visit our common foot conditions page for helpful advice on how to prevent and treat these conditions and how to look after your feet if you have diabetes.
Footwear
Our footwear advice page includes information about footwear which can cause foot problems or which supports foot health. There’s also advice on how to measure your feet and fit shoes.
For footwear advice for children see our footcare advice for children tab.