High Risk Foot Model of Care
Our podiatrists provide a high-risk foot model of care aiming to minimise the risk of ulcerations / amputations of the lower limb. This is through preventative education, neurovascular assessment, intervention, and wound management.
What is a High Risk Foot?
A high-risk foot is a foot with ulcerations (chronic / non-healing wounds), active infection or previous amputation (secondary to chronic disease), which can result in significant morbidity and mortality (1). “These complications are typically precipitated by “high-risk factors”, such as peripheral neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease. High-risk factors are more prevalent in specific “at risk” populations such as diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease” (1).
Services We Provide
- Annual diabetes foot checks
- Foot ulcer care: wound care and management, client, and staff education
- Specialist footwear to clients who are high risk of ulcerations/amputations of the lower limb (payment or other funding required)
- Minor nail surgery secondary to an infected ingrown toenail
- In addition to individual consultations, we aim to provide community-based group education programs, such as Indigenous diabetic foot education, and basic foot-care workshops
- Our podiatrists also provide capacity building activities such as training, and in-services to clinics reaching Aboriginal health workers, allied health staff, medical and nursing staff
Eligibility to Our Podiatry Services
Our services are reserved for clients at high-risk of developing foot complications including amputations, and we prioritise clinical podiatry services for people with diabetes, end stage kidney disease, and Hansen’s disease who have:
- A current foot ulcer
- Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the foot)
- Charcot foot (neuroarthropathy)
- Active infected ingrown toenail
- Peripheral Arterial Disease (reduced blood flow to feet)
- Significant foot deformity
How to Access Our Services
You will need a GP or other health professional referral to access our podiatry service.
Health care providers, please visit our Health Professionals page for details on the referral process and eligibility criteria.
MBS Referrals
We accept MBS referrals in the West Kimberley for people with chronic health conditions and complex care needs. This program gives you to access five (5) free allied health services (including podiatrists, dietitians, or diabetes educators). Your GP must prepare a GP Management Plan or a Team Care Arrangement and complete a Department of Health Issued Referral Form.
More information for health professionals on how to refer to our services is available here.
What to Expect After Your Referral?
Once we have received your referral from your GP or health care provider, you will be contacted by your local health clinic or by Boab Health as soon as an appointment becomes available in your preferred location. If we receive a form that does not meet our referral criteria, we will send this correspondence back to the referrer.
Wait Times
- Appointments are prioritised on your referral, urgent referrals are seen as soon as possible.
- Our Podiatrists provide outreach services to over 30 towns and communities across the Kimberley. Therefore, there may be extended wait times to access our service.
- You will be contacted by your local health clinic or Boab Health as soon as an appointment becomes available in your preferred location.
Cost of Services
Our government-funded podiatry services are currently free-of-charge for eligible clients. In the future we may provide Medicare-funded services offered for a fee.
While You Wait For Your Appointment
Please contact your regular health professional if your symptoms worsen or if you have any urgent concerns. For emergency situations, always present to your local hospital or remote clinic.
Service Locations
We provide podiatry services out of our Broome office and the Coolibah Health Centre in Kununurra. We also provide outreach services in partnership with WACHS and KAMS to over 30 locations across the Kimberley.
Telehealth services are available in some instances
Services We Don’t Provide
- Biomechanical assessment or treatment (flat feet, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis)
- Foot pain (except for ulcers and infection)
- Corns and callouses
- Nail care
If you require assistance for any of the above, please visit your nearest private podiatry service (Darwin, Katherine, Perth, and Karratha are the closest locations to the Kimberley region).
Community Programs and Health Promotion
We aim to support patients to self-manage their chronic health conditions at home, to help reduce the need to travel far distances for ongoing treatment.
We also provide workforce development such as in-services and workshops to increase the capacity of health care providers in the region to effectively manage foot health conditions locally.
Regular programs we offer:
- Diabetes One Stop Shop (DOSS) – Brochure
Useful links
1 Department of Health, Western Australia, High Risk Foot Model of Care Perth: Health Networks Branch, Department of Health, Western Australia, 2010.