Consultation for draft Standards for the Foot Health Workforce

The Standards are intended to support the NHS in utilising the full skills mix of the foot health workforce to meet demand, by providing a clear understanding of the footcare treatments that foot health practitioners and the podiatry support workforce can safely perform. The needs and safety of patients is central in this work. We would therefore value your contribution to the consultation of these standards and look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions as we take this vital and important next step.

Please note this consultation is now closed.

Please see below, two documents that will facilitate the completion of the consultation: 

Consultation on standards for the non–regulated foot health workforce

This document sets out the background to the work to develop the Standards. It then explains more about how the Standards have been developed and how it is proposed they will be used. The draft standards on which we are seeking your feedback have been published alongside this consultation document.

Draft for consultation: Standards for the Foot Health Workforce (up to HCPC Registered Podiatrists)

Thanks from the Foot Health Consortium

Beverley Harden, HEE National AHP Programme Lead, Deputy Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, England

Andrew Hill, Clinical Services Manager & Programme Leader, SMAE Institute

Steve Jamieson, CEO and General Secretary, The College of Podiatry

Hans Bakker, Canonbury Products Ltd

Tony Gavin, Director, OSGO Healthcare

Martin Harvey, Chair of Executive Council, Institute of Chiropodists & Podiatrists

Background

In 2019, working in conjunction with Health Education England we gathered as a Consortium of Foot Health Leaders to address the problem of the falling recruitment numbers on traditional routes into podiatry. The priority of the Consortium is to develop a foot health career ladder and educational resources that will support and increase the number of podiatrists and podiatry support workers working in the NHS. 

The work of the Consortium has enabled a better understanding of the workforce that provides foot care, with the aim of optimising this workforce for the benefit of those who use the services of any practitioner, in England, who work in this arena. 

These Foot Health Education and Training Standards are the result of a year’s work to increase the supply of podiatrists in the NHS workforce. We also want to ensure that the NHS recognises the knowledge and skills of the wider foot care support workforce.