Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Clinic prevents 17 amputations

A diabetic foot clinic at Morriston Hospital, which has a range of specialist doctors and clinicians working together, has saved the limbs of 17 diabetes patients who could have faced amputation.

One of the 17 patients whose limb was saved was 69-year-old Hugh Jones, from Pontardawe, pictured with Rosalyn Thomas, ABM’s Deputy Head of Podiatry

Across the UK around 15% of diabetics will develop foot ulcers as a side effect of their condition, and one in 10 will end up having an amputation. Each week around 100 UK diabetics lose a foot or part of their leg.

Rosalyn Thomas established a multidisciplinary joint foot clinic to enable patients to undergo medical and diabetic reviews at the same time as their foot problems are addressed. It has cut down on outpatient visits and waits, because the various specialists are all there, ready to organise treatment swiftly.

The clinics have been held eight times, had 58 appointments, and saved the limbs of 17 patients from amputations.

Its success has just been recognised in the UK-wide Advancing Healthcare Awards 2011, where Ros was runner-up in the ‘Leading Integration’ category.

“The judges felt the project was clearly making a difference to patient care through the perseverance of the staff and good use of multidisciplinary teams.”

The clinic is attended by a consultant diabetologist, a vascular surgeon, two consultant orthopaedic surgeons, a diabetes specialist nurse and a musculoskeletal podiatrist.

As well as the reduction in amputations, 68% of ulcers have healed and remained healed out of the 58 patients that have attended to date.

Not only is preventing amputation the best possible outcome for patients, it is also cost effective for the NHS. The direct cost of an amputation is around £60,000, with an addition £17,000 - £24,000 in ongoing social costs.

source: newswales.co.uk

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