§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to reduce waiting times for foot surgery by using the underused services of podiatric surgeons in this country, rather than recruiting orthopaedic surgeons from abroad. [HL5501]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe Changing Workforce Programme pilot based in Salford is focusing on developing new and extended roles for members of the allied health professions. They are currently testing the role of consultant in foot health which includes surgical podiatry. The pilot's initial outcomes are proving to be positive in terms of reducing waiting times of orthopaedic consultants. In due course we will undertake an analysis of the pilot's results to consider the potential for wider use in the National Health Service.