East Lancashire Foot and Ankle Service is a group of people from different professions who work together to care for adults with foot and ankle problems. We include podiatrists, physiotherapists, nurses, orthotists and orthopaedic surgeons. Some of us work in the Primary Care Trust Musculoskeletal Teams and others in Burnley General and Royal Blackburn Hospitals. Having such a wide range of staff allows us to offer a flexible service which is as convenient as possible.
We have agreed plans of care for common conditions which are based on the latest research. So you can have confidence that you'll get consistent advice from any member of the team, and that it will be based on the evidence, not just opinion.
Most foot and ankle problems can be helped in simple ways – sometimes simple advice from a specialist is all that is needed. We can also provide insoles or orthotics, help you find more comfortable shoes or teach you exercises. We always try to encourage people to look after their own feet as much as possible.
If you need more complex treatment or an operation, we can almost always arrange this locally. We do a full range of foot and ankle operations, including:
Correction of bunions and other toe deformities
Operations for arthritis, including ankle replacements
Operations to help repair injuries, including arthroscopy
Correction of complex foot deformities
Occasionally we arrange for our patients to see surgeons elsewhere for unusual, very complex problems.
Some people with foot problems are cared for by other specialists, such as rheumatologists (for arthritis), or diabetic specialists. We work closely with the rheumatology and diabetic teams in East Lancashire. We see patients together to make sure that anyone who needs our team’s help can get it easily.