An ambitious programme aimed at dramatically reducing amputations is the focus of the latest EDFN podcast.
Jayne Robbie, a Senior Podiatrist at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, features on the fourth episode of the Talking Feet series.
She discusses the ACT NOW programme, which was developed to reduce the delays in people accessing specialist foot care and to reduce amputations by 50 per cent within five years.
The ACT NOW programme is a free, accessible, six-step checklist which can be used for anyone with a foot problem, but particularly for people with diabetes. The six steps are:
A – Accident or trauma
C – change in Colour or shape
T – change in Temperature
N – New pain
O – Oozing or exudate
W – Wound.
During the episode, Jayne talks about her career in podiatry and education, including qualifying in 1987 and becoming a Diabetes UK Clinical Champion in 2019.
She discusses career highlights, including everyone working together throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I think my biggest personal achievement is surviving all the changes in the NHS and in healthcare within a 30-year career. I think being able to still want to get up every morning and go into clinical environment is something that I’m hugely proud of,” she said.
The Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University also talks about the biggest challenges facing teams working in diabetic footcare and outlines the “exciting things” she has “in the pipeline”.
Listen to Jayne’s podcast episode here.
Listen to the full series here.
