Diabetic Foot Unit

We provide treatment, care and support for people with diabetes-related foot problems.

Key points

Assessment and management of patients with diabetes-related foot problems
Acute and community-based services
Short-term service supporting a transition to a suitable community or private service

Patients need a referral from their GP or healthcare provider. Access referral information

What we do

Our Diabetic Foot Unit provides care, treatment and management for patients with diabetes-related foot problems.

We care for people who are in hospital, have been in hospital or need to come to hospital for conditions such as:

Foot ulceration
Charcot foot
Cellulitis
Osteomyelitis
Acute lower limb ischaemia

The Diabetic Foot Unit implements evidence-based assessment and management of patients with diabetes-related foot problems, aiming to reduce amputation rates, reduce length of stay, and ensure cost-effective and appropriate use of hospital investigations and resources for this patient group.

Our unit includes acute and community-based services with integrated staffing. The team is led by an endocrinologist and podiatrist, and is supported by staff from:

The Diabetic Foot Unit is a Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) Partnerships in Health (PIH) service representing a partnership between the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), Merri Community Health Service (MCHS), cohealth and Bolton Clarke.

The key objectives of the HARP PIH program are to:

Improve patient outcomes
Provide integrated seamless care within and across hospital and community sectors
Reduce avoidable hospital admissions and Emergency Department presentations
Ensure equitable access to health care

What to expect

When you are in hospital

If you need to stay in hospital for your foot problem, the treating team will visit you at your bedside.

You will stay in hospital until the team consider your foot problem to be stable enough for you to go home.

After you leave hospital

The team will continue to treat your foot wounds/problems when you are discharged home from the hospital. We usually do this at several clinics:

Diabetic Foot Clinic - you will be treated in the clinic if you need further medical testing, medication or footwear:
Podiatry Clinic - if you no longer need medical input but need ongoing foot wound care. You will have access to further medical testing if required and footwear.
Community Clinics - hospital podiatrists also work at cohealth in Niddrie and Merri Health in Coburg and Fawkner. You will be treated in the community clinic when your foot is stable. The podiatrist will work with you and your GP.

Once your foot condition has healed and remained stable for six months, we aim to transition you to a community or private podiatrist.

You can be referred back to the Diabetic Foot Unit by any health professional.

If you develop a severe foot problem and you cannot contact your podiatrist or local doctor, you should attend an emergency department.

For patients

For health professionals

Appointments

For all new appointments, contact the Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) liaison on (03) 9342 4530

To change or cancel a booked appointment, contact the HARP liaison on (03) 9342 4530 or email diabetesfoot@mh.org.au

What to bring

Every time you come

Every time you come in for a test, day procedure, surgery or treatment, you should bring:

Medicare card
Health Care card (if you have one)
Concession card (if you have one)
Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
Medications you are currently taking, including any that you have bought without a prescription
X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results you have which are related to your procedure
Private health insurance card (if you want to use it)
Aids (glasses, hearing aid, walking frame)