Our services
Podiatry – foot health
About the service
Our Podiatry team are foot health experts who specialise in preventing, diagnosing and treating problems affecting toes, feet, ankles and lower leg. 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 foot, toe, ankle or lower limb aches and pains caused by 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 see the tabs below to register for digital letters and for advice on self-care, footcare for children and adults, common foot conditions (including athletes foot, callus, chilblains, corns, fungal toenails, ingrowing and involuted nails, neuropathy, poor circulation and verruca), and footware. 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 this referral form – 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.services@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.services@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.
If your referral is accepted, you will be sent an opt in letter in due course asking you to contact 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 information below and frequently asked questions below to find out more about receiving digital letters with Patients Know Best (PKB).
Improving the way we communicate with you
We’re working to improve the way we communicate with you. Over the coming months some of our services will offer you the option to receive important information, like appointment and outcome letters digitally via your smartphone, tablet or computer.
If you wish to receive digital letters
To receive digital letters from us via your smartphone, tablet or computer you have two options:
1 Register with Patients Know Best (PKB) to view letters from us on the PKB patient engagement platform, or
2 Register with the NHS App (download via the Apple App Store or on Google Play) and Patients Know Best so that you receive notifications that you have letters from us on the PKB patient engagement platform.
How to register to receive digital letters
Not all of Bradford District Care Trust’s services currently offer the option to receive appointment and outcome letters digitally. If the service you are using does offer this option, you will be sent an email or text with a link to first register with Patients Know Best.
Registering with Patients Know Best
You must register with Patients Know Best to receive digital letters from us via either the PKB portal or the NHS App.
Find out more about Patients know best here.
Find out how to register with Patients Know Best here.
Once you have registered you will be able to log in using your smartphone, tablet or computer to view your appointment or outcome letters online.
If you wish to be notified of letters from us and use all the benefits of the NHS App you also need to register for the NHS App and link the NHS App with Patients Know Best – this is easy and quick to do.
Registering with the NHS App
If you have not yet downloaded the NHS App, simply search for ‘NHS App’ in the App Store or Google Play and follow the instructions – or click the buttons below.
If you don’t have a smart device you can also sign up and access the service via a web browser.
Once you have the NHS App follow the instructions below to link it to Patients Know Best.
Linking the NHS App to Patients Know Best
To receive notifications that you have digital letters from us and get access to those letters via the NHS App you need to follow some further steps:
- open ‘Messages’ in the NHS App and select ‘consultations, events and messages’.
- a message will open asking if you agree to share your NHS login information with Patients Know Best. Click ‘I agree’.
- register with your email address, a strong password and a security question.
- accept the privacy agreement and click the ‘Register’ button.
- you’re all set – next time you log into the NHS App you will be able to see both your GP and BDCT appointment information.
Get full details on accessing Patients know Best using the NHS App.
Benefits of registering to receive digital letters
Whether you choose to register with both the NHS App and Patients Know best, or just Patients Know Best you will benefit from:
- access to a secure online space to view any letters relating to your care
- access to your information on any internet-enabled device, anywhere, anytime
- the ability to cancel or request to reschedule your appointment without having to call us – giving you more choice and control over your care
- the option (if you wish) to share this information with family, carers and other health professionals
- the knowledge that you are helping Bradford District Care Trust to reduce the amount of paper we use, so we can reduce our impact on the environment, as well as helping to lower our postage costs by reducing the number of letters sent, freeing up NHS budget for other uses.
For more information please read the frequently asked questions below.
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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.
How do I update my contact details in Patients Know Best (PKB)?
If you have changed your email address, please follow the instructions on how to update your email for your PKB account. Please also contact BDCT’s podiatry service on 01274 221165 to tell us your new email and/or postal address so we can update our records.
Where can I get further help and support?
If you have a question about your podiatry letter, please call 01274 221165.
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.
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.