1 February 2018

Sheffield podiatrists awarded top quality mark for excellent care


Sheffield Teaching Hospitals’ podiatry services awarded Customer Service Excellence Standard (formerly Charter Mark) following rigorous two-day inspection

Podiatrists at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have retained a top quality customer services accreditation for the 22nd year.

The team, who are trained to prevent, diagnose, treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs, to improve or sustain foot health were awarded the Customer Service Excellence Standard (formerly the Charter Mark) following a two-day visit from an independent assessor.

The Customer Service Standard is a government-backed accreditation that encourages provider services to make a difference to their customers by focusing on their individual needs and preferences.

Services are scored against five key criteria including the timeliness and quality of the service, customer insight, the culture of the organisation, information and access, and delivery.

The Sheffield Podiatry Services team is the only NHS service in Sheffield to hold the Standard.

Dr Lisa Farndon, who leads on customer care for the service, said: "We are extremely proud to have retained this highly regarded quality mark.

"This is a really stringent Standard, and during the two-day annual assessment the team were praised for providing exceptionally high quality services and care. Feedback from patients was also extremely positive.

"Achieving the Standard for the 22nd consecutive year demonstrates our podiatrists ongoing commitment to providing excellent care and outcomes, and is great news for people needing a range of treatment for foot problems at NHS centres and clinics throughout Sheffield.”

Sandra Pratt, 71, a Type 2 diabetic, has been coming to the podiatry clinic for the past 15 years to check her feet are in good health. “It’s a very good service. My diabetes means I’m more susceptible to foot damage which could cause infections and pain, I’m very satisfied with the service.”

Helen Chapman, Head of Integrated Community Care at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the podiatry service, demonstrating their commitment to place patients at the heart of the service they provide.

"Sheffield Teaching Hospitals is proud that the service has been acknowledged for actively seeking and responding to patient feedback and clearly demonstrating a culture of continuous improvement.”

The service was fully compliant with all elements of the Standard, achieving two compliance plus elements which means it is doing even more than the Standard requires.

Sheffield Podiatry Services’ team provide a range of treatments for people with foot problems at NHS centres and clinics throughout Sheffield. These include treatments for patients with acute foot conditions, nail surgery and regular clinics for patients with diabetes and rheumatological diseases who can be more susceptible to foot damage, infections and pain.

The service also provides foot health education to patients, carers and the general public with the purpose of reducing the number of preventative foot problems across the population by increasing foot care awareness. Members of the team are involved in a number of research studies to further develop the evidence base for podiatry practice and give patients opportunities to be involved in new initiatives.

ENDS
Photo: Jonathan Campey, a specialist podiatrist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals checks Sandra Pratt’s feet are in good health at the Podiatry Services’ Central Health Clinic on Mulberry Street


 



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