Question about free chiropodist (podiatry)

crazyshady

I was recently diagnosed with diabetes this year but prior to that I have been treating a fungal nail infection. The nurse I see said it can take time to heal and just keep using the Mycosan treatment I was using to spread on the nail but recently the nail has fallen apart and is dead and is causing some discomfort when walking. There's a thick part left but it is under the skin a bit and I'm not keen on removing it myself. It also doesn't help that a few days I was trimming my nails and accidentally clipped one of the nails wrong and ended up drawing blood on my toe due to a small part of nail digging into it so I'm very uncomfortable in one foot.

I sent an email trying to get an appointment at the podiatry clinic at my local health centre and I asked them if you paid because from what I had read there was a good chance because I am diabetic it would be free but they said there was no cost if i want to make an appointment which is a bit vague. I've also read that some people get referred by their doctor or nurse but I don't know if that makes a difference on having to pay or not and I don't even know how much it would be to pay or what kind of cost we are talking about.

So I don't know what the answer is and I don't know if I done the right thing requesting an appointment, they will let me know tomorrow what day and time it is or if I should have went to the nurse or Doctor and got a referral. What do you think? It's all in the same health centre. I am in Scotland if that makes any difference.

Torry_Quine

crazyshady wrote: »

I was recently diagnosed with diabetes this year but prior to that I have been treating a fungal nail infection. The nurse I see said it can take time to heal and just keep using the Mycosan treatment I was using to spread on the nail but recently the nail has fallen apart and is dead and is causing some discomfort when walking. There's a thick part left but it is under the skin a bit and I'm not keen on removing it myself. It also doesn't help that a few days I was trimming my nails and accidentally clipped one of the nails wrong and ended up drawing blood on my toe due to a small part of nail digging into it so I'm very uncomfortable in one foot.

I sent an email trying to get an appointment at the podiatry clinic at my local health centre and I asked them if you paid because from what I had read there was a good chance because I am diabetic it would be free but they said there was no cost if i want to make an appointment which is a bit vague. I've also read that some people get referred by their doctor or nurse but I don't know if that makes a difference on having to pay or not and I don't even know how much it would be to pay or what kind of cost we are talking about.

So I don't know what the answer is and I don't know if I done the right thing requesting an appointment, they will let me know tomorrow what day and time it is or if I should have went to the nurse or Doctor and got a referral. What do you think? It's all in the same health centre. I am in Scotland if that makes any difference.

Yes as a diabetic you are entitled to free chiropody. You need to go annually anyway along with the other checks a diabetic needs

crazyshady

Thanks. I had a diabetic check with the nurse earlier this year and she looked at my feet and said they were very sensitive and she looked at the fungal nail and said they take ages to clear up and just keep treating it so she has seen it but it's gotten worse since then. And the nail I cut wrong just happened days ago but I didn't know what to expect and if I'd done the wrong thing by requesting an appointment myself rather than making an appointment with the nurse or doctor and getting them to refer me.


I'm glad it's free as it's not something I could have predicted happening.

sheramber

Phone your nurse and ask her

teddysmum

I have type2( still not needing medication) and have the annual foot inspection with the rest of the 'MOT'.


When first diagnosed, I was sent to see a podiatrist, but discharged after a few years of routine visits as my feet were well cared for, with instructions to get in touch, should any problems arise.


At the time of one of my annuals, I mentioned a small lump of hard skin that made the soul of one foot sore and was told to call for a podiatrist appointment, as my cutting it with scissors was no a good idea.


However,on ringing the centre where the podiatrists are based and explaining that I have diabetes, I was told that anyone not being referred for a diabetes based condition, now had to pay privately,as the rules had changed (probably at the time that testing strips and finger prickers became no longer free for those not taking medication.)