But what about the grandparenting issue?
Jacqui Baggaley
Trinity Chiropody & Podiatry Clinic
196 Ferry Road
Edinburgh EH6 4NW
Tel W 0131 476 9889
-----Original Message-----
From: A group for the academic discussion of current issues in podiatry
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mark Russell
Sent: 06 November 2004 12:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Scottish Professional Briefing
The first cross-party briefing session with politicians was held in the
contemporary splendour of Scotland's new parliament building in
Edinburgh
on Wednesday 3 November. This event followed the debate on podiatry
provision in May, where, for the first time in any British parliament,
politicians examined the issues surrounding the delivery of services and
care that we provide.
The session was reasonably well attended with around twenty members of
the
profession and half a dozen members of parliament - including the deputy
convenor.
Mr Ralph Graham started the proceedings with an eloquent speech, which
highlighted the perennial problem of capacity and demand within the
National health Service. He then went on to explain the benefits of
podiatric surgery and touched on the agreement between the Society and
the
Royal College of Surgeons (Edin) that resulted in the joint initiative
MSc
(Surgery), which started earlier this year.
Mr Stephen Moore from the Society then spoke at length regarding
workforce
planning - a subject he covered in October during his evidence to the
Health Committee in Holyrood. He explained some of the initiatives that
were running in Scotland's health service, including new posts for
podiatry
educators and researchers. Stephen also reinforced the maxim that "NHS
Scotland Podiatry Services exist to ensure that the people of Scotland
can
achieve their optimum mobility and independence of movement, with the
minimum of pain and disability, enabling them to undertake active,
healthy
and productive lives." The debate was then opened to the floor.
Mary Scanlon MSP welcomed the profession's willingness to highlight the
difficulties it faces in the delivery of its care and stressed the
importance of communication between members and politicians. This was a
central theme of her keynote speech a week earlier at the Society's
annual
conference in Glasgow. Mary enquired what solutions the profession was
considering in addressing the problems surrounding capacity.
Mr David Wylie (Podiatry Manager Glasgow) explained the current approach
to
skill mixing and offered a portrayal of the podiatry triage system that
is
being used in Glasgow at present. David also spoke at length about the
Scottish Managers Forum and the work it has been doing in relation to
service redesign.
Mr Stephen Moore supported this with an illustration of the use of the
voluntary sector in supporting clinical practice for 'low risk'
patients.
He also stressed the importance of training new grades of professionals
-
assistant grade practitioners - to support specialist podiatrists in
their
daily work.
Dr Jean Turner MSP asked what measures could be taken to increase the
workforce to cope with rising demand from all sectors.
Mr Stuart Baird (Head of School in Glasgow) explained the limitations of
producing more graduates within the current educational boundaries,
suggesting that with the right amount of support and resources, his
school
could increase its output by up to 15 graduates each year. A discussion
followed on how this could be achieved.
Mr Mike Rumbles MSP also offered his support to the profession in its
quest
to secure a greater share of the health budget explaining he had a
vested
interest in podiatry's future - his wife is a practising member in
Grampian. Mike also touched on the problems with capacity and urged the
profession to consider imaginative delivery options for future
provision.
Mr Ralph Graham reinforced the tiered approach to care - from empowering
carers and family members and harnessing the voluntary and social
services
to assist the NHS in patient care - through to the use of podiatric
surgeons to assist in reducing orthopaedic waiting times.
Mr Stephen Moore then introduced one of his podiatry team in the western
isles whose role it is to educate and train members of the public and
voluntary sector in the provision of low-risk foot care.
Mr Graham Pirie made a valuable submission towards the close of
proceedings
regarding sterilisation of instruments. It was explained how much of an
impact this would have on services at current funding levels.
Mr Brian Christie (Podiatry Manager Tayside) remarked that the cost of
providing sterile instruments would be greater than his entire budget at
present. Mr David Wylie supported this position adding that if
disposable
instruments were used instead, the resulting stockpile would fill one of
Scotland's lochs in a very short time! Mr Ralph Graham explained the
thinking behind the initiative and suggested that there was no need for
this approach in general podiatric practice as evidence showed that
cross-
contamination with prions did not occur with non-surgical chiropodial
procedures.
Trish Gorman MSP (Deputy Convenor) interjected some controversy when she
remarked that recently she had taken to having a pedicure and found it a
wonderful experience. Some members of the profession were clearly in a
state of apoplexy over the choice of her words but Mary Scanlon
redressed
the balance and restored order by explaining to the Deputy Convenor the
folly of her ways.
The session concluded at 7pm with an undertaking from the members of
parliament to hold further meetings with the profession during the
coming
year. An pledge was also given to secure access to the Health Minister
to
highlight the problems surrounding NHS practice.
The Society had produced a briefing paper for the event
entitled "Developing a Podiatry Framework for NHS Scotland" and this was
distributed to those present during refreshments at the close of
proceedings.
My thanks to the Society for accepting the invitation to attend,
especially
their Scottish Liaison Officer, Karen Utting, for co-ordinating with
Mary
Scanlon's office. My thanks also to the five podiatry managers, Mr
Christie
(Tayside), Mr Wylie (Glasgow), Mr McCrossan (Lanarkshire), Mr Moore
(Western Isles) and Ms Donald (Lothian) and nine of their NHS staff who
made the effort to travel to Parliament. Thanks also to Mr Stuart Baird
and
Mr Ralph Graham who, along with Mr Stephen Moore are members of the
Society's Council.
Mark Russell
6 November 2004
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