KATRINA BRANDON
By KATRINA BRANDON
THE partnership between Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) and Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) has won a prize at the 2023 Gippsland Primary Health Network Awards. Taking the health category award, the Gippsland High Risk Foot Clinic (GHRFC) was recognised for improving diabetes-related foot disease outcomes for people living in Gippsland, a big health concern across the region. “It’s a tremendous honour, and I am proud of the GHRFC team and all those involved in the service across both organisations,” LCHS Senior Podiatrist, John Chen said. “There’s been a lot of effort to build the service and drive it forward.” “To our knowledge, this is the first acute and community collaboration for a high-risk foot service in the region, with our patients receiving continuity of care between the two organisations,” GHRFC High Risk Foot Coordinator, Alison Lang added. Mr Chen said the award helps highlight the issue of diabetes-related foot disease in Gippsland, specifically the power of collaborative care. “Awareness is important. People need to work with their local practitioners, attend educational events about diabetes, and be aware of potential complications. These are probably good starting points,” he said. The GHRFC is a part of the National Association of Diabetes Centre’s Australian Diabetes Foot Registry project, a standardised national database for high-risk foot services nationwide. The GHRFC receives a site report on their service every year, allowing them to audit their service and benchmark themselves against national data. Mr Chen said that one particular area the GHRFC has excelled in is its diabetes-related foot ulcer healing rates. The clinic came equal second nationally with a 42 per cent healing rate for foot ulcers after 12 weeks, compared to a national average of about 30 per cent over the same period. They found a longer pre-referral delay of patients coming into their first appointment for ulcers at 39 days, 11 days longer than the national average. But even with the more significant delays, the healing rate was higher, and the rates for people in the service requiring amputation was lower. “The GHRFC is a huge asset to our region. Before the service was set up, patients had to travel up to six hours to the nearest metropolitan high risk foot service. Our patients can now receive specialised care closer to home,” Ms Lang said. Mr Chen said that if someone has a diagnosis of diabetes, they should be having a diabetes foot screening at least once a year. This typically involves checking the lower limbs’ blood supply, nerve function, and other risk factors for foot ulceration. According to Mr Chen, the GHRFC provides a multidisciplinary clinic, meaning patients can access a wide range of specialists all under ‘one roof’. “This is hugely beneficial because patients are not required to travel to multiple appointments in multiple settings, which would be highly prohibitive in terms of cost and travel,” he said. “There are a lot of risk factors for diabetes. Regarding prevention, looking after one’s health and being aware of how it can affect the body is important.” For more information on the GHRFC, follow up with your GP, email hrfc@lrh.com.au or call LCHS on 1800 242 696.
