The chair (Dr Paul Chadwick) and vice-chair (Dr Joanne McCardle) of Foot in Diabetes UK (FDUK) would like to start 2016 with a big thank you to all its existing members and a big welcome to all its new members. The bells and festivities have gone quiet again for another year and thoughts turn to planning our summer holidays, but we want to share with you, the readers, what to expect in the coming months. For us, 2015 ended with a clearer vision than ever before on the direction we want to travel in the coming year.
The FDUK committee is multiprofessional, which reflects the multidisciplinary requirements when managing the diabetic foot. It has UK-wide, four-nation representation, as well as specialty- and profession-specific input, aims to hold four meetings per annum, but a lot of the work is done remotely and it is the dedication and commitment of the committee that make things happen. New committee members in 2015 were the eminent infectious diseases consultant Professor Ben Lipsky. Ben is also a key member of the International Diabetes Foot Working Group and has already been a great contributor to our committee. Similarly, we are fortunate to have Professor Fran Game, who is a consultant with the Derby Diabetes Foot Team, and Christian Pankhurst, who leads the orthotic service in King’s Hospital London representing FDUK. We must also thank our continuing committee members and let’s not forget the health trusts for allowing members of staff to take time for meetings and to represent FDUK at other committees, which we will go on to highlight.
Our representation is widespread and our political presence has strengthened over the years. We have a voice on a number of parliamentary groups, including the All Party Limb Loss Group, the All Party Vascular Group, and the STAMP initiative and a presence on executive boards with key stakeholders, such as Diabetes UK and the College of Podiatry. We input into the recently released NICE guidelines (NG 19) and are a registered stakeholder with NICE for all relevant documents and technology assessments. In addition, we aim to continue supporting you in your development as a practitioner. This year, we plan to collaboratively review and update the ‘Podiatry Competency Framework for Integrated Diabetic Foot Care’ and maintain a seat on the Podiatric Medicine Executive Board within the College of Podiatry. We also design the diabetes and tissue viability stands of their annual conference.
You will find an excellent piece on our 11th FDUK Conference held in Harrogate in November 2015 on p49. Our FDUK conference gets bigger every year and we are delighted it is attended by a number of different clinicians. Our aim is to bring you the most up-to-date, evidence-based clinical practice, delivered by experts in the field. We also provide some underlying educational components that are the backbone of our clinical practices. This year will be no different, and by the time you receive this journal we will have finalised another exciting and dynamic programme for 2016.
We recognise that we have not embraced technology as quickly as we should and are working to engage with members and promote transparency in our work streams. As clinicians, we are often so busy seeing patients that we are not the best at marketing or even just using social media tools. This will resonate with many of you. With the help of Omniamed, we have developed a focus this year on communication across our membership. To help us formulate and input into our strategies, please follow us on Twitter and watch out for updates.
As a committee, we want to represent you, and strive to ensure you are recognised within your practice. We have access to the appropriate experts to be able to answer as a collective any question regarding the diabetic foot. FDUK does not exist in isolation; its aim is to ensure that it is the recognised UK specialist organisation that is approached for expert opinion, input and recommendations when it comes to matters of the diabetic foot.
FDUK membership
To apply for membership to FDUK, please visit http://www.footindiabetes.org/join-for-free
Follow us on Twitter — @footindiabetes
