Patients with diabetes-related foot problems may be able to avoid hospital if they have better access to podiatry-led multi-disciplinary management. Podiatrist Luke Grainger said if these foot problems, such as ulcers, were better managed it would take a lot of strain off hospitals. “On any given night in Australia, more than 550 people are in hospital with diabetes-related foot ulcers,” he said. “The real shame is that we know up to 90 per cent of those people don’t need to be there.” Mr Grainger said that around one in three people who go into hospital with a foot ulcer come out with a limb amputated. “The Australian Podiatry Council is using foot health month to highlight the situation and call on the government to take simple steps to improve foot heath care for all patients with diabetes,” he said. “It is really important that all patients with diabetes visit their podiatrist or doctor at least annually.” He said patients with known diabetic foot disease, such as foot ulcers, should visit their podiatrist and doctor weekly to heal the ulcer, or monthly to prevent another ulcer – but Medicare only funds five podiatry or allied health visits for diabetics yearly. “We are calling on the federal government to increase the number of Medicare services for people with diabetes foot disease to a minimum of 12 podiatry visits,” Mr Grainger said.