The new Northern Foot Hub Clinic has been introduced to the North West to support the healthcare network and prevent foot disease resulting in fewer amputations and a healthier region.

The aim of the project is to strengthen access to care for Queenslanders with foot disease in the community and provide closer to home care through networked evidence-based multidisciplinary models of care and partnerships.

Based in Townsville, the clinic will assist the North West Hospital and Health Service to streamline services and improve communication to combat foot disease in the community.

Executive Director of Remote Health Services, Clare Newton, said the initiative is an excellent idea to increase access to multidisciplinary foot care closer to home and will strengthen community partnerships.

“Diabetes-related foot disease is a leading cause of hospitalisation, amputation, and disability burden in Queensland, which have been shown to be significantly reducible with timely access to quality foot care,” said Ms Newton.

“For regional, rural and remote Queenslanders, this specialist advice is not always on hand resulting in significant variation in outcomes of hospitalisation and amputation rates.”

Utilising Telehealth and engaging with health care providers, the Northern Foot Hub Clinic can provide virtual clinical care for all patients in the region to ensure residents in rural and remote areas are receiving the same level of care as metro areas.

These multi-disciplinary teams based in Townsville will include an Endocrinologist, Podiatrist, Dietitian, Psychologist, Social Worker, Diabetes Nurse Practitioner, Vascular Surgeon, and Infectious Disease Specialist and will work with North West HHS on the ground in all communities but also working with organisations such as the Royal Flying Doctors Service, North West Remote Health and Gidgee healing along with General Practice Clinics and home nursing services to ensure the reach is as large as possible.

By connecting with rural and remote healthcare providers who know the community and can provide the hands-on interdisciplinary care close to home, the model of care can be co-designed by the local communities to ensure value-based care.

 Creating a single point of contact, the Northern Foot Hub Clinic can support local communities to navigate the continuum of care for persons with foot disease across admitted and non-admitted settings, providing streamlined escalation and de-escalation pathways to tertiary hospitals where appropriate.

Referrals can be sent through to foothub-north@health.qld.gov.au