Morning Mr Dawney, come on in and take a seat. Thank you
I’m Ian Spencer, I’m head of Orthotics for Knowsley PCT. We provide spinal braces
for people who’ve had back injuries or we provide
simple knee braces for people who have sport injuries and they want to return to
playing sport. We’re here today to have a look at your
feet and get some shoes made for you.
On more complex footwear, where it’s affecting their life, they can’t walk so we provide
them with footwear which then allows them to return to daily work
My name is Bill Clarey, about six years of age I suffered from Polio and this left me
with problems with my left leg and I’ve been wearing callipers ever since.
They’re heavy to wear and people knew they had them on and other people could also
see someone was wearing an orthotic or a calliper or a back brace even.
We came in 2007 to try a brand new pair of boots with Ian, and we must have been
back to the manufacturers at least three times and it was in early December I came back in
desperation really to say look, there’s no way that these are going to fit me and
I’m in trouble with them, they are totally uncomfortable,
and Ian then suggested, would you be part of a
pilot scheme to pioneer this new system of footwear.
I went out to look for new technologies that use CADCAM systems to provide perfectly
fitting orthotics. We stood on the bed that had the cameras,
one on each corner, and one underneath as well, and the process to take
photographs from all angles and then do complex measurements of the foot as well.
Far more detail was taken to map out my foot and ankle area.
The technology now allows me to see a patient for initial consultation of 20 minutes,
during that consultation they are measured and scanned for the footwear; they are then
emailed off to a company that manufactures in Europe.
These shoes will be ready for you in three to four weeks; we’ll send
you an appointment when they are ready for you.
To triaging referrals we are able to pass on some of the more routine referrals to the
assistant practitioner. Also doing this, I’m using the new technology we’re able to allow
them to assess the patient, take the measurements
necessary. It gives them greater job satisfaction; it gives them more of a care
pathway to the patients, instead of just more clerical work they were used to beforehand.
It brings more into their daily work; they really
enjoy what they do. It means more clinical time for me, it means a greater clinical throughput
and better quality of service at the end of the day.
Your here today to have your new boot fitted. Hopefully
OK, It’s different from your other boot because the insole inside is more
supportive and is made to fit your foot. We can see straight away it is a better fit.
And that is where the skill of the orthotist comes in, they know that they need more
support in certain areas so we’ve built that into the footwear and that is hidden
inside the shows.
Oh, the quality is excellent and it allows me to do more with my life
now, I’m hoping I won’t feel any pain. Once I’ve got used to it I’m hoping I
won’t feel any pain when I’m walking as I’ve have done in
the past. When Ian said you’ll be able to walk without
a calliper, quite honestly I didn’t believe him, because I’ve been
wearing a calliper for 66 years, either doubles or
singles or other combinations of calliper. I was very hesitant.
Using the scanner is such an innovative new technology that has changed my daily life,
I’m able to see more patients in the clinic, able to reduce my waiting times and see more
patients on a whole. Also increase the capacity of the service by seeing more patients
through outpatients. To be able to walk without putting a calliper
on every day is absolutely amazing and I’m truly grateful.