NICE issues new foot care guidelines for people with diabetes

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued new foot care guidelines to hospitals for the treatment of people with diabetes .
Diabetic patients are significantly more at risk from foot problems than others with about 100 people with diabetes needing a lower leg or foot amputation every week. This is a high number of amputations and the guidelines from NICE sets out to reduce the incidence.
The guidelines state that hospitals should have a plan in place for how to manage foot problems. To support the plan, the hospital should have a team available who have been specifically trained in treating foot problems. Such a team should include a diabetologist, a diabetes specialist nurse, a surgeon and with expertise in diabetic foot problems, a podiatrist and a nurse specialised in wound care.
The new guidelines state that people with diabetic foot problems should be initially examined for a number of foot problems, including diabetic neuropathy, foot ulcers and charcot foot . Following this examination, they should then be referred to the specialist foot team within 24 hours.
The number of amputations for people with diabetes in the UK per week is high. However, with good control of blood glucose levels and regularly checking of your feet, particularly if you have reduced sensitivity in your feet, the chances of foot problems developing can be significantly reduced.