Diabetes foot care services may help avoid lower limb amputations

In a Diabetic Medicine study that compared different regions in England, areas that provided 10 key services for diabetes foot care had lower rates of major diabetes-related lower limb amputations.

Services introduced included administrative support, standardized general practice foot screening, improved community podiatry staffing, hospital multidisciplinary foot clinics, effective care pathways, availability of an orthotist and audit.

"Based on these findings we strongly recommend robust commissioning to provide and coordinate 10 key service provisions for diabetic foot care," wrote the authors of the study.