What is a Podiatrist?
Podiatrists are Health Care Professionals who specialise in foot, ankle and leg healthcare. They improve people's mobility, independence and quality of life. Podiatrists treat a wide variety of conditions from ingrown toenails, corns & callus, Verrucas, foot pain and injuries, to wound care and surgical procedures. Podiatrist work in both the NHS and Private Practice, often both. Podiatrists have annotations to provide and sell Prescription only medication, and administer local anaesthetic.
What is the different between a Podiatrist and a Chiropodist?
Nothing! Podiatrist is the modern name for a Chiropodist. Both are protected titles and only those with a degree in Podiatry can call themselves a Podiatrist/Chiropodist. In the UK we must also be registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).
You may have seen advertisements for ‘Foot Health Practitioners’, these are not Chiropodists or Health Care Professionals and it is illegal from them to call themselves Chiropodists. There is no regulation or requirement for a Foot Health Practitioner to be trained or registered. Please be careful and always see a HCPC registered Podiatrist but if you do see a Foot Health Practitioner please make sure they have completed a SMAE course as a bare minimum. Remember if an advert does not mention what or who they are, be safe and question them and their qualifications.
Check the HCPC Register here
About Jodie Dawson MRCPod
Jodie actually started off leaving school and completing a Geology degree with the University of Aberdeen before moving onto feet! Then graduating from Queen Margaret University in 2008 with a degree in Podiatric Medicine, she has since worked across the UK within many NHS trusts. She is Health Care Professions Council registered (Registration Number CH31293). She is a member of the Royal College of Podiatrists.
Jodie first began working in NHS for NHS24 in 2004 whilst a Podiatry Student, then moved to London for her first NHS Podiatry position. Quickly becoming a Specialist Podiatrist she has worked in diverse locations with a wide demographics of patients. Taking a short career break to start her family, during the Covid 19 Pandemic Jodie was able to use her skills to move into Public Health and began her journey onto a Masters Public Health course with Sheffield University. She soon found long distance Academia was not for her and feet soon called her back again!
Most recently she moved into the role of Community Specialist High Risk Podiatrist for NHS Grampian, specialising in Wound Care. Now exclusivley private she is hopeful to add many more new and innovative treatments to her repertoire.
Moving from London to Aboyne a few years ago with her husband and young family, she is excited to offer Registered Professional Footcare to Aboyne after discovering a lack of Podiatrists and qualified foot care in the area.
When not treating feet, Jodie is a Leader for Braemar Cub Scouts and active member of Aboyne Primary School Parent Council. You never know what she might be up, depending on what those organisations have her working on!
She has recently started running and enjoying weekly Parkruns in Aboyne, often the whole family join in and volunteer. Her mad dog Basil also keeps her active along with her house renovation project and garden.