NHS could save £250m a year by improving foot care services

NHS England could save two hundred and fifty million pounds a year by improving foot services according to new analysis.

NHS England could save a quarter of the £1 billion it spends on diabetes foot care according to new analysis by Diabetes UK.

The charity found significant savings could be made by improving foot care services and by reducing the number of foot ulcers in people with diabetes.

The charity says the savings should be ploughed into improving treatment for people with foot ulcers. For example, saving £250 million would pay for the 7,000 podiatrists needed in England to ensure every person with diabetes received adequate specialist foot care.

Researchers found NHS Trusts that introduced or rearranged specialist foot services - in hospital or the community – had improved prevention and treatment of foot problems for people with diabetes. They reduced the number of ulcers and amputations as well as making significant cost savings.

In contrast, the report found many people with diabetes in England are either having to wait a long time for specialist foot care or find the service doesn’t exist at all – increasing the risk they will develop serious conditions that can result in a toe, foot or leg being amputated.

After making foot services more effective, improving care for people with diabetes-related foot conditions, the charity estimated three NHS Trusts – Somerset, Brent and Ipswich – saved more than £1.38 million between them in just one year.

Somerset hospitals and GPs set up a ‘diabetes foot pathway’ to give specialist help to people with diabetes more quickly. A 24-hour referral system and specialist training for podiatrists, nurses and doctors caused major amputations in Somerset to drop by 43 per cent. Preventing an estimated 19 amputations per year and reducing inpatient time saved approximately £926,000, almost six times the cost of improving the service.

At least £1 in every £140 of NHS expenditure in England is spent on foot care for people with diabetes. Most of that money is spent on treating foot ulcers.