Unlike your typical podiatrist in the community who will treat a broad range of foot related concerns from sporting injuries to general nail care, the High Risk Foot Podiatrists are exclusively dedicated to caring for acute foot complications such as foot ulcers and acute Charcot neuroarthropathy.

The service is a rapid access service with new referrals prioritised to be seen within two business days of receipt of referral and can see patients either in the outpatient allied health department at the Townsville University Hospital or at the Kirwan Health Campus. The team is committed to providing the best care for foot ulcers to avoid unnecessary hospitalisations and visits to the emergency department.

The service has access to a range of dressing options and offloading devices and has the ability to rapidly escalate patients through into specialist services such as the vascular department and endocrinology for more complex foot complications. The service has also been accredited as a Centre of Excellence by the National Association of Diabetes Centres for the interdisciplinary diabetes high risk foot service, so you can be assured the patient accessing the service will have the highest standard of care provided.

So, if you have a patient with a foot ulcer, don’t wait, refer them through to the High Risk Foot Podiatry Service for quality foot ulcer care.

For more information regarding eligibility criteria and referral pathways, visit:

Townsville Community Health Pathways: https://townsville.communityhealthpathways.org/LoginFiles

Townsville Hospital and Health Service Podiatry Service: www.townsville.health.qld.gov.au/services/services-a-z/podiatry