Preparing for your visit

Our ground floor entrance is step free and wheelchair accessible with the option to be dropped off at the front door. A small number of pay and display parking spaces are available directly opposite our front door with two dedicated disabled spaces. Please note that our reception closes for lunch between 1pm and 1:30pm everyday.

If you are accompanying a neurodiverse patient, or anyone who would benefit from some extra preparation, we have a range of social stories available to download.

If you are are bringing a new patient to the practice we require a new patient registration to have been completed. As podiatry is a medical service, this registration covers the patient's personal and medical details. These can be completed via the secure link in their booking email, filled out when they arrive, or the forms can be downloaded in and completed in advance from our patient resources page. 

If the person you are bringing has Alzheimer's, Dementia, or lives with a long-term condition where they have a financial guardian or welfare guardian, please ensure you have read our patient information below to ensure that we can carry out the treatment when they attend. Our standard new patient forms do not apply in these circumstances. The appropriate forms can be found below or for an online version please call 01786 358252 or email reception@stirlingpodiatry.com before your session.

Podiatry treatments for those living with Dementia, Alzheimer's or long-term needs that affect consent

Podiatrists provide a range of medical treatments of the foot and lower limb. All the treatments we offer at Stirling Podiatry require valid consent to be in place. This is a legal requirement to protect the rights of our patients.

Some of our patients live with long-term needs that can affect their memory or ability to consent to medical treatments. These include those living with:

• Dementia or Alzheimers
• The effects of a brain injury or stroke
• Learning disabilities
• Conditions which affect cognitive functions

Our clinicians will always put the needs of the patient at the centre of the care plan and treat all our patients with care and respect.

To undertake any treatment with the patient’s own consent, the clinician must be comfortable that the following conditions are met by the patient:

• Understand broadly what the treatment is, its purpose and nature and why it is being proposed
• Understand its principal benefits, risks and alternatives and be able to make a choice
• Understand in broad terms what the consequences will be of not receiving the proposed treatment
• Retain the information for long enough to use it and weigh it in the balance in order to arrive at a decision
• Communicate that decision

If the treating podiatrist does not believe these conditions have been met, then they cannot carry out the treatment.

How to support those needing podiatry care

If you are supporting someone to access podiatry care, please make the clinic aware as soon as possible if any of the following occur:

• The patient has an active Power of Attorney in place and now has someone supporting them with decisions about their money, welfare or health
• The patient has had a decline in their ability to retain information or make decisions
• The patient has had a change in their medication, health conditions or ability to self-care

Power of Attorney and podiatry care

To comply with the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, where an activated Power of Attorney is in place we will need to alter how we obtain consent for treatments and who accompanies the patient to their appointments. Please ask for details or read our leaflet on understanding Power of Attorney and podiatry care.

Raising concerns over patient wellbeing

All our staff have a legal obligation regarding the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. If our podiatrists have concerns that a patient may not be able to provide valid consent to treatment, or that there is a concern about their wellbeing, they will take the necessary steps to ensure that the law is being followed and the patient’s welfare is prioritised. There may be instances where it is appropriate for the podiatrist to raise concerns with the person accompanying a patient for treatment to request the patient is accompanied within the treatment room or to seek clarification on their ability to retain or process information. These conversations will be handled as sensitively as possible. Please do not be offended if the podiatrist approaches you with concerns, it is always with the wellbeing of the patient in mind.

Understanding Power of Attorneys and podiatry care

A Power of Attorney document is legal document granting powers to a trusted person to support an individual who can no longer make decisions unsupported about certain aspects of their life. This may be:

• For financial or property matters (known as a continuing power of attorney)
• For health and welfare matters (known as a welfare attorney or welfare guardian)

It is common for these documents to be prepared in advance but will have conditions of when they can be activated e.g. when Dementia has progressed to the stage where they need help to make decisions for their wellbeing.

Why does my podiatrist need to know about a Power of Attorney?

Podiatrists (also known as Chiropodists) provide medical care. They have a legal and ethical obligation to provide care in the best interests of their patients. Treating a patient without the proper consent in place is a violation of the patient’s rights and the laws in place on medical consent. But we need your help to respect these. Many people do not realise that they have to tell healthcare staff (such as podiatrists, dentists, audiologists etc) that there is an activated Power of Attorney in place and that they are supporting someone with their welfare needs. We do not need to know about ones which have been prepared as a ‘just in case’.

What do I need to do if an activated Power of Attorney is in place for a patient at the clinic?

Please tell us as soon as possible that one is in place and what type it is. For example, will it cover financial matters, their health decisions or both? The clinic team will need to see a copy of the certificate of appointment and make a copy for the patient’s records. Please do not see this as intrusive, it is a requirement to comply with the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. Our clinic handles all such information in compliance with data protection laws and to be sensitive to the rights and feelings of the patient.

How can the clinic support patients with continuing power of attorneys in place?

If a patient at the clinic has a continuing power of attorney in place for financial matters, we understand that they may not be the person accompanying the patient to appointments. If a patient is not able to handle their own payment at the time of treatment we can also accept payment by telephone or via a secure online credit card link. Bank transfers for payment are possible by arrangement. We can record the details of the financial guardian in the patient record and how to contact them for payment. We would ask that payment be made on the day of treatment wherever possible and within a maximum of three days of treatment. Printed or digital payment receipts are available for any patient who requires them. Just let our team know what your needs are.

How can the clinic support patients with welfare attorneys in place?

All our treatments require written consent to be in place from the welfare attorney. The welfare attorney will also need to be present in the treatment room for all treatments. We understand that this is not always possible and the law has a provision for this circumstance known as a Section 47 certificate. Our patient registration forms and consent updates will need to be completed by the welfare attorney. This can be done electronically or in person. Where there is more than one welfare attorney in place, please advise us of the other named attorneys for the patient’s records.

What is a Section 47 certificate?

The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 makes provision for medical care to be undertaken when a welfare attorney is not present. A Section 47 certificate provides a legal way for care to be undertaken and must be completed by a designated medical professional (such as a GP). The certificate should be completed in a way that allows for ongoing podiatric care. It will be valid for up to a maximum of three years. A copy of the certificate will be needed for our records. Where a Section 47 certificate is in place and the welfare attorney would like consulted on certain aspects of treatment before it goes ahead, please let us know and we can update the patient’s care directives.

What happens if there isn’t a Section 47 certificate in place and the welfare attorney hasn’t accompanied the patient to the appointment?

Unless the treatment is classified as emergency care, we will have to decline the treatment. To avoid this happening please ensure that either a valid certificate is in place or the welfare attorney is present. We cannot treat a patient without a consent form signed by the welfare attorney on file so please ensure this has been complete prior to the first appointment.

What happens if the patient refuses treatment and the welfare attorney wants it to go ahead?

The welfare attorney does not have the right to force the patient to have any treatment where the patient objects or seems unwilling. The rights and welfare of the patient remain our top priority.

If you have any questions then please do let us know by calling 01786 358252 or emailing reception@stirlingpodiatry.com.

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