Patients call for return of Cross Hills podiatry service (From Craven Herald)
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Patients call for return of Cross Hills podiatry service
3:10pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in Local news
Doctors are being called on to take action to bring back a podiatry service after it was axed about six years ago.
Hundreds of patients, mainly elderly who need treatment for their feet, are having to travel to Skipton Hospital because there is no service being offered at Cross Hills Group Practice.
Representatives from the health centre attended North Yorkshire’s Craven area committee where they were told the service was critical for the elderly and were urged to be more “pro-active” to ensure the service was restored.
If action was not taken soon, said Roger Nicholson, the committee’s voluntary sector representative, it could be deemed as unviable and the impetus for its return lost.
After the meeting, Glusburn county and district councillor Philip Barrett said podiatry was relocated to Skipton Hospital about six years ago despite strong opposition from residents.
“The reason given by the doctors was they had no space to house specialist equipment. There were around 600 to 800 patients using the service at that time, many elderly who have to travel to Skipton with all the mobility problems and costs etc or go to a private podiatrist – numbers will have dwindled as a consequence.”
Mr Nicholson said now there was chance for the practice to purchase and convert the former caretaker’s bungalow which was now no longer required by South Craven School.
Cross Hills Group Practice manager Jenny Hutchinson said the practice was committed to establishing a podiatry service but it hinged on it being commissioned and at this stage North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust was not prepared to pay the rental. The situation was being flagged up in the talks to establish the new NHS commissioning group, involving a merger with Airedale and Wharfedale PCT, and podiatry would be included in its priorities when this was complete in April, 2013.
