News

Podiatry shortages an Achilles heel for rural health

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 06:11:00

A Swan Hill podiatrist says rewarding careers in regional allied health practice are being overlooked by students and young practitioners who aren’t aware of the opportunities available.

Country Feet Podiatry owner Emily Luke established her Swan Hill practice four years ago, but said the ability to meet growing need for podiatry services is limited by a shortage of podiatrists, particularly in regional areas.
Ms Luke recently returned from the three-day Australian Podiatry Conference in Adelaide, where she said a key topic of conversation was the lack of practitioners.
“I’ve been trying to find a Podiatrist to meet growing demand in our clinics in Swan Hill, Kerang, Cohuna and Balranald for about 18 months now, with only limited success,” Ms Luke said.
“We desperately need another clinician, but it’s just really hard to recruit a Podiatrist, let alone one who’s willing to work in the country. Unfortunately for our patients it means people are waiting in pain longer than they should for an appointment and not having their problems seen to as soon as they should.”
Ms Luke said the problem is likely to become worse in regional areas in future.
“There’s a shortage of students choosing to study health sciences, and those who choose allied health are drawn to what they perceive are the popular streams like physiotherapy,” she said.
“Podiatry is a fantastic career – it’s challenging, it’s very people-focussed, it’s diverse and you are making a real difference to the quality of life of the people you care for, in exactly the same way physio does.
“We get to help patients of all ages and backgrounds, with a huge range of issues and in all sorts of settings.”
Demand for podiatry services is growing at about five percent a year and Ms Luke said practitioners at the national conference were keen to find ways to promote career opportunities in the field.
“The universities say students are snapped up as soon as they graduate and that’s usually by the clinics they get their clinical experience in – that is, clinics in the cities,” she said.
“For regional areas, as with other health fields, our best opportunity long-term is to promote Podiatry better to our local young people who are considering their career options and that’s topical at this time of year.
“Podiatry is a very rewarding career with great opportunities for flexibility and independence.  It’s diverse and there’s demand for practitioners across the country, so it’s a great career for moving around.
“But most importantly, it’s a career where you feel personally satisfied every day because of the work you do.
“Foot pain has a profound effect on people’s wellbeing, and whether it’s a child or an adult, an injured athlete or a diabetes patient at risk of having a limb amputated, you’re potentially making a huge difference to that person’s quality of life.”
For further information or comment, contact Emily Luke on 0448 812 850 or Ben Gange on 0447 345 171.  More information is available by visiting the website at www.countryfeetpodiatry.com.au