Up to 80% of diabetes-related amputations in England each year are preventable, and Diabetes UK is warning that inadequate foot checks are part of the reason that so many amputations happen unnecessarily.
In a survey of 6,711 people with diabetes, undertaken by the charity between October and December 2014, 32% of respondents said that they were not informed about their level of risk of foot problems at their annual foot check. Thirty-two per cent of respondents also said they were not given advice about foot care and 18% said they did not
have their feet checked for corns, calluses and changes in shape. National Institute for Health and care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on type 2 diabetes foot problems and type 1 diabetes both recommend a structured programme of regular foot surveillance, risk assessment and patient education.
Diabetes UK is concerned that if people are having inadequate foot checks then they – along with the many thousands more who do not have a foot check at all – are being put at higher risk of amputation. As part of its ‘Putting Feet First’ campaign, Diabetes UK is calling for Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to ensure that the healthcare professionals carrying out the annual foot check are trained to do so and are given the time to carry it out thoroughly.
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