We provide the most full medical services, so every person could have the
oportunity to receive
qualitative medical help.
(FCP) Podiatrist
What does a First Contact Practitioner (FCP) Podiatrist do and how can it help my patients?
Generally, there is a view that Podiatrists only cut toenails and nothing else. Whilst they do cut toenails as part of their role, they are trained to do so much more!
A Podiatrist’s primary aim is to improve the mobility, independence, and quality of life of their patients. They specialise in the foot, ankle, and leg, leading their patients through the whole journey of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
With the advent of the FCP Podiatrist role, a patient can be seen at the first point of contact, bypassing the need to see the GP. This means that a specialist Podiatrist can treat the patient early on, reducing both waiting times and improving recovery times. It also means that GPs have more free time to treat other patients and allows the waiting lists for appointments to reduce.
In our experience of working with GP surgeries and Primary Care Networks (PCNs), our Podiatrists can save over 40 hours of GP time in the first month and this rises month on month as the staff at the surgery gain confidence in making the referrals.
Every one of our First Contact Practitioner Podiatrists is a highly-skilled, experienced Podiatrist and works as part of the practice team to support the assessment, diagnosis, early intervention, treatment, and advice of patients with foot complaints. They can refer patients to specialist services at the earliest opportunity, thus allowing the patient to move seamlessly through the system. They are also trained to identify ‘red flag’ symptoms that would require further medical attention.
In terms of benefits, the patient is seen quicker and by the right person. This means that early access to treatment will reduce the time suffering from a condition as well as improve the recovery time markedly. There is also a marked reduction in referrals to Secondary Care as any issues that are identified are resolved quicker, often before a problem becomes chronic.
What are the benefits?
Reduction of referrals to Secondary Care
Reduced waiting times
Providing Direct access to Podiatry Assessment and expertise
Saving GP time by not seeing foot conditions, meaning that the GP time can be better used elsewhere.
Why choose Xcel Health for your FCP Podiatrist?
We have been providing First Contact Physiotherapy and Podiatry in Primary Care Networks since 2019. We have drawn on our experience in Private Practice to build a robust model to support an already overworked GP population and their practices.
We understand the challenges faced by Primary Care Networks and GP surgeries and we work together, becoming an integral part of the surgery to ensure that we get the best outcome for patients, first time, every time.
Our highly skilled Podiatrists will be able to work with the reception staff to ensure that the correct patients are referred to them and be present in the surgeries to provide support. They will be able to join local meetings and feedback on clinical outcomes and make onward referrals where appropriate.
We work together with the Primary Care Networks to reduce waste, such as missed appointments and we are proud of the fact that our DNA rate is below the national 8-12% average. We achieve this by ensuring that the reception staff feels confident about explaining the First Contact Practitioner services and that the patient can see the benefit of meeting with a specialist.
What are the problems we can help with?
- Foot, heel, and leg pain
- Diabetic assessment
- Diabetic foot ulcer assessment, management, and referral on to MDFT.
- General foot care -corns, calluses, and fungal infections
- Removal of hard skin
- Plantar fasciitis
- Pregnancy-related foot problems
- Diabetes foot care
- Footwear advice
- Vascular Assessment
- Toenail problems
- Cutting toenails and treating nail problems
- Foot education
Know Your Pain
GOOGLE REVIEWS
"Just finished a course of physiotherapy on a calf injury at Xcel Health and can't praise them enough. Friendly, welcoming and professional staff and my physio Xavier has been excellent throughout, providing great treatment and advice. This isn't my first visit to Xcel Heath and when I found that I needed treatment, there was only one place I was looking to go. Highly recommend."
- Mark Bullen, 2 weeks ago
"We recently moved down from London having used the same physio for years who was excellent. Over the past 3 years I have tried three physiotherapists in the Sittingbourne area and I have finally found through a friend's recommendation probably the best one of all. I was treated by Xavier who completely cured an extremely painful back which I've had for years following surgery I can't thank him enough and would highly recommend Xcel."
- Stephen Quirke, 3 weeks ago
"Hi, I'm Carolyne Holding and I've recently had a course of physio treatment at Xcel health. I've had problems with kneck & shoulder pain/tension and have found my treatment at Xcel most beneficial. I cannot thank them enough. I would certainly recommend their practice to anyone. And finally a very big thankyou to Desiree Vaz who treated me"
- robert holding, 3 weeks ago
"I have had several sessions with Desiree and she has been so helpful!! Came to see her with a strained thumb joint that was causing me severe pain for months. A few sessions with her along with the exercises she gave me and I no longer have any pain in my hand!! Would definitely recommend Xcel Health to friends and family."
- Nicola Smith, a months ago
"My experience at Xcel Health was wonderful. The staff are welcoming, friendly, hospitable and professional. My practitioner was Anagha Chandrashekhar and she is very good at what she does. She made all my physio sessions interesting and helpful. She taught me some new exercises which helped to alleviate the pain in my back and strengthen my biceps. She is very calm, patient and friendly. Every session I attended was good and no complaints. I will definitely recommend Xcel Health to friends."
- Oluwasesan Adamolekun, a months ago
"I had my first treatment with V. She was amazing, she made me feel relaxed, talked me through each stage in terminology I understood and I left in a lot less pain than I arrived with! I can’t recommend V enough. Thank you!"
- Eve S, 2 months ago
"Xcel Health is amazing! My son (age 8) first had treatment there and amazing and big improvements. So helpful. I am having treatment for my ankle and walking issues with Xavier. The pain has gone from 10(being the worst) to 4 and that’s in four appointments. I can now walk without pain, put shoes without pain and now go back too exercise!! I can even go running without pain. Xavier is great and makes me feel comfortable and explains everything in detail."
- Rebecca King, 3 months ago
"I have just had my third session with Xavier and am beyond delighted with my experience of Xcel Health. Xavier is a tremendous physio but what has struck me most about the whole process is the welcoming nature of the entire team.The guys clearly care about the mental health side as much as the physical and are easy to talk to and extremely empathetic.I would recommend Xcel to anybody, outstanding service!"
- Danny Essen, 3 months ago
"I was pretty confident I knew what the problem was when I arrived for my first appointment. It turned out to be something completely different.Xavier explained everything really well without going too technical. I like to understand what’s going on and how to fix it so it was really refreshing that Xavier did that without needing to ask him. I have exercises to help support my recovery but not just a bit of paper or a video to watch, Xavier asked me to do each exercise before I left so that I could feel what muscles I’m trying to engage and He could make adjustments to my positioning so that I get the most out of my effort."
- louisajayne, 3 months ago
"Xcel Health is amazing! My son (age 8) first had treatment there and amazing and big improvements. So helpful. I am having treatment for my ankle and walking issues with Xavier. The pain has gone from 10(being the worst) to 4 and that’s in four appointments. I can now walk without pain, put shoes without pain and now go back too exercise!! I can even go running without pain. Xavier is great and makes me feel comfortable and explains everything in detail."
- Rebecca King, 3 months ago