Podiatry

Podiatry deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of medical and surgical conditions of the feet.  Treatments available include diabetic foot assessments and diabetic foot care, biomechanical assessment and orthotic therapy, wound care, paediatric (children’s) assessments, general foot care, footwear/foot care education and nail surgery.

There is a weekly High Risk Foot Clinic run by the podiatrist and wound nurse consultant jointly. This clinic is for any wound/ ulceration of the feet. The team will assess the wound, debride and cleanse it, and develop a management plan that will be shared amongst others involved in your wound care eg. your GP, district nurse or vascular team.

The podiatry service is primarily an outpatient service and runs clinics at the Wonthaggi Hospital, Phillip Island Health Hub (Cowes), Corinella Community Centre and Grantville Transaction Centre.  A limited consultative service is provided to inpatients at Wonthaggi Hospital who have high risk feet.

The podiatry department is an active participator in several health promotion groups run in our different locations.  These are most notably the falls prevention program and the newly diagnosed diabetics group. Please contact the podiatry department for further details.

The podiatry department is committed to excellence in service delivery through the active promotion of quality improvement initiatives. It actively promotes ongoing professional development with each clinician completing at least twenty hours of continuing professional development each year.

Our podiatrists are registered with the Australian Health Professional Regulation Agency (AHPRA). There are also several foot care assistants who perform simple nail cuts under the supervision and advice of the podiatrist. The podiatry department has a clinical placement partnership with La Trobe University so patients may occasionally be treated by a student, under the supervision of the podiatrist.

Admission Criteria

Bass Coast Shire community. Must provide a doctor’s or My Aged Care referral. Demand on the service is high so priority is given to high risk clients (those at risk of losing a digit or a limb), and those with a pension card or health care card. People receiving a package or holding a DVA gold card should seek private treatment as there may be a long wait list.

Clients outside the Bass Coast region may access the High Risk Foot clinic if there is no other HRF clinic closer to their home.