Podiatry is an essential medical service and we are thankful that the Scottish Government has allowed all the essential healthcare services to continue treating patients during this latest lockdown. Private healthcare services continue to play a vital role in supporting the NHS and helping to prevent more serious interventions being required. At this time we are advising our patients that we are open for care and your appointments can go ahead as normal however we feel it is best to go with a "be sensible" approach. If you do not need to be seen at this time then please postpone your appointment. Covid-19 is in high circulation in the general population just now and the new variant is far more contagious. We follow strict infection control procedures, wear medical PPE and are doing everything we can to keep you and us safe in the clinic. For many of our patients postponing treatments would be harmful to their feet and general health. We are always happy to discuss your needs and help you decide if treatment just now is the right thing for you. At this time we continue to ask you to please do not arrive early for your appointment, use of our waiting room greatly increases the risk to you and our other patients as it makes social distancing much harder. Please also continue to follow the rules around masks. We will always respect a medical exemption otherwise please attend wearing a well fitting mask which covers your mouth and nose. You may be provided with an alternative mask by our team if yours is not fit for purpose. Please do not be offended if this is raised with you, it is for everyone's safety. If our capacity in clinic needs to be restricted, or if the virus levels in the area rise, then we may need to restrict appointments to those with the greatest medical need. In the vent of this happening then we will contact you directly to discuss your appointment. Some of our more commonly asked questions we have been receiving from patients are: I don't live within the Stirling Council boundary, can I still come to my appointment? The Scottish Government rules state that travel to a medical appointment is classed as essential travel so yes. We have temporarily introduced email appointment reminders to accompany your text and phone reminders which will give you an additional proof of your appointment. If we have an email address on file for you then these will be automatically issued the morning before your appointment but may end up in your Spam folder. I've been advised to resume shielding, does this mean I need to cancel my appointment? Medical care is one of the few reasons that you can leave your home when shielding however even with all safety measures you are at a higher risk from Covid-19. The decision as to if you should attend your appointment will be unique for your circumstance, Your podiatrist will be happy to discuss your situation with you if wished. I'm just out of hospital, can I still attend my appointment? Current guidance is that you should wait 7 days after discharge from an inpatient stay in hospital prior to attending appointments.

UPDATE: Following the announcement that Stirling will be placed in Level 4 restrictions we can confirm that all treatments will go ahead. Podiatry is an essential medical service and thanks to the measures we have in place, we can continue all treatments. If you would prefer to reschedule then please get in touch to rearrange your appointment. We have now been on "General Care" for 3 months which means we are able to treat all kinds of conditions safely in the clinic. We have taken extra precautions to make sure that you feel safe and secure during your visit to the clinic including staggering all the appointments to avoid patient cross over, use of medical grade PPE, portable screens, pre-appointment covid screening and a handwashing station at the door. This is on top of all of our usual hygiene measures that you would expect to find in a healthcare clinic. We have compiled some of our more frequently asked questions below but please do ask if you have any questions at all and we are all happy to help. I've not got anything too complicated so is it ok to come in? Yes! we are here for all kinds of foot issues. We have changed how we are booking to make sure that we can see people quickly so there is no need to worry that someone else's feet may need seen more than yours. We aren't supposed to be meeting people from other households indoors so does this mean I can't come to see you? Podiatry is a medical treatment and the current restrictions are around socialising so these do not affect your healthcare appointments. Delaying treatment can result in more problems developing. I usually see the NHS but can't at the moment, is it ok if I come to see you once? Of course you can. Our NHS colleagues were mainly redeployed as District Nurses while they were on a "Critical Care" setting and as such were not able to see everyone that they would normally be able to. We can treat you for as long as you need without issue. Many of our patients see both us and the NHS as needed. Can I have someone in my appointment with me? In certain cases, yes you can. If someone is from your household or bubble, if they are your carer or if you are under 16 and require a parent then you can have someone with you. It's always helpful for us to know that you will be bringing someone else with you too so please let us know in advance if you can. If you are a child or have a Welfare Guardian then we already know that you will be coming with someone. Is it ok to use your waiting room? Not at the moment, no. We have carefully scheduled our appointments to make sure that our patients are not crossing over in the reception area or corridors. We wouldn't deny you a seat if you are unable to stand for example but we have to be cautious so please make sure that you arrive at your appointment time and not early. Thank you for your understanding and we appreciate your patience. How effective are your cleaning products against Coronaviruses? Very! Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that have been around for some time so all of our products are fully tested. Our disinfectants will kill coronavirus within 60 seconds. Our instruments are all sterilised thoroughly between treatments too in our autoclave (as is the normal standard in medical treatments). Can I pay by cash? Of course you can. The national advice is to pay by card wherever possible and the contactless limit has been raised to £45 but we will still accept cash. What kind of PPE are your staff wearing? We are following the advice from Health Protection Scotland for healthcare workers and as such our podiatrists are wearing medical grade masks and eye protection as well as the usual apron and gloves. We have also utilised portable screens during your foot treatment. Our receptionists have a fixed perspex shield on the desk so they do not currently have to wear a mask but would if they left the desk area. Please make sure you observe social distancing where you can and use the markers on the floor in reception too. I've been shielding as I'm high risk, is it ok for me to see you? Yes you can. Those in the Shielded category were able to have medical treatment throughout lockdown too as per the Chief Medical Officer's advice. We treat all of our patients as if they were shielded and follow strict infection control protocols including extra hygiene measures in our reception and bathroom areas. I have a medical condition which means I may need to use your toilet. Is this still ok? Of course you can. Our bathroom is disinfected after every use and there are cleaning supplies on hand for you to use for your comfort too.

The practice just keeps on growing and we are delighted to welcome Zoë Young to the team. " Hello, I’m Zoë and I’ve been a podiatrist for over 17 years. I’ve spent most of my career in the NHS, based in Tayside but was raised in Bridge of Allan and returned to the area 10 years ago. In the NHS I had link specialist roles in diabetes foot care, wound management and the high risk foot. I love helping patients to stay healthy and mobile. It’s so satisfying helping patients heal after a breakdown, seeing improvements and providing some comfort to them again. Knowing that I’ve imprinted on people’s lives is one of the things I love about podiatry. I’ve recently left the NHS to work solely in private practice between here at Stirling Podiatry and in my existing home visiting service which I set up 9 years ago. Some of you may already know me from my business or from being a local lass. I might be new to the clinic but I was at university with Emma and used to work with Katie so I’m excited about being in the Stirling Podiatry family. Outside of work I’m always on the go as I’m the mum of 2 young boys and my husband is in the Forces so life is never dull! When I’m not building Lego creations or out on a scoot with the kids I love to relax with a good G&T and a movie night or to catch up with my friends. I’m rather partial to a weekend away at St Andrews too, you just can’t beat an ice cream and a stroll down the beach! " The eagle eyed among you may have spotted that Zoë was supposed to have joined us in April, but 2020 has been a tad eventful and we are delighted that she will be starting to treat patients this week. We are sure that you will all join us in welcoming her to the clinic.

After 13 weeks of only being able to treat patients who were classed as having an urgent care need we are delighted to have been able to return to a "general care" setting. This means that we can now treat any patient regardless of how painful or high risk their foot condition is. We do still have a backlog of over 250 appointments which we had to cancel during the past few months and we are contacting them in order of their cancelled appointments. If you were cancelled and are in need before we get to you then do get in touch and we can get you booked in. It's not back to normal though and we have had to make changes for everyone's safety and to allow us to be as responsive as possible. Non-essential treatments are still not advised and not all of our treatments have returned just yet. Here are some of the things changes we have made for general care:

But what do you do when you can't leave the house to get your kids feet measured? Fear not! Your local independent shoe shops are here to help! As I explained to BBC Radio Scotland's Kaye Adams earlier today, children's feet are still growing and a well fitted shoe can help prevent issues in later life such as deformed toes. In the short term we see children regularly in the clinic with damaged toenail, blisters, ingrown toenails and even corns which are all caused by poorly fitting shoes. Podiatrists will always recommend that if you can, you should have your child's feet measured and fitted by a trained shoe fitter. Children will often need their feet checked every 6-8 weeks from the time that they can happy start toddling about solo. Their feet are as individual as they are too and will need supported as they grow. Shoefitters can be found in stores such as Clarks but during lockdown it has been the independent shops that have been the lifeblood of the community. We are lucky to have 2 such shops close to us. Ruby Ruby in Dunblane and Clever Clogs @ 19 in Falkirk. Both shops have been offering virtual fittings, doorstep deliveries and mail order to help keep those little feet happy for their daily exercise and beyond. As my 3 year old decided that lockdown was the perfect time to have a massive growth spurt, I found myself in need of a virtual shoe fit for both slippers and new shoes. As I live in Falkirk I contacted our regular shoe shop Clever Clogs @ 19 who got back to me with the list of measurements and photos to take to help them give the best virtual fit possible.

Recently one of our lovely regulars messaged us distraught as her favourite pair of bamboo trainers socks had a hole in them and she was in need of a replacement pair. She had bought them while pregnant with her first child and he just celebrated his 5th birthday so fair play to them! During lockdown we were able to post out products as needed but as restrictions are continuing we have made things a bit easier for you all by setting up a pop up online shop thanks to our friends over at Shopify. It stocks all your favourite bamboo socks and lock laces as well as the essentials for some at home nail care and our best selling gel toe protection. And better yet everything has FREE DELIVERY! To browse our stock just pop on over to our shop by clicking the button below. Our creams aren't online but fear not you can still get them sent straight to your door thanks to our partnership with Simply Feet and receive a 10% discount with them using the code XQ9S2801. Visit www.simplyfeet.co.uk to find all your favourite Akileine and Simply Feet creams. Our pop up shop will be around for a few months while the world returns to normal. If you don't see what you were looking for then just ask.