PRACTICE NEWS
“Read about recent and up-coming changes and improvements to our Practice and to our Services”
Update as at 1st December 2024
Our longest serving team member, Janet, has decided to retire to concentrate on her small-holding and ever-growing menagerie. She has been with us for nearly 12 years and although we are sad that she is leaving us, we wish her all the best for her and the ‘good life’.
We welcome our new member of the Patient Services team - Jane, who has now joined us and has under-gone some intensive training and is ready to go it alone.
We also welcome a new Podiatrist - Millie-Mae Hill - who started working for the Practice on a part-time basis in October.
St Annes Football Club - Sparrowhawks Under 11 Team
We are excited to announce that we have formed an association with the ‘Sparrowhawks’ football team. This is the under-11 girls team which is part of St Annes Football Club. We are sponsoring the team this year and next. We are keen to support our community and we think that football and feet is the perfect combination. Please see details of the teams here Teams — St. Annes Football Club. Also, we will be adding pictures to the website here
Christmas and the New Year
We wish all of our patients, both old and new, a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2025. The team is taking a well-earned rest over the festive season and we will be running our last clinic of the year on .Christmas Eve. We will then be closed until Saturday January 4th and then normal hours will follow.
Changes to our Fees
We continue to experience significant increases in our operating costs and we are applying a modest increase to our treatment fees. The fee for a new patient is £52 including a routine treatment; and thereafter, routine treatments will be charged at £42. Full details of all of our fees can be found on the Fees/Gift Vouchers page.
Having introduced a new range of footcare products called “Podo Expert” , we are finding that they are proving to be popular. They are not generally available from any shops or online stores and our patients have found them to be particularly good. We use Podo Expert products in clinic and they are available to buy from us. The full range of products can be seen here Retail Products — Sonia Morgan Podiatry or please ask one of the team for details.
Farewell to Janet
After more than 11 years working with us, Janet retired at the end of November to devote more time to her animals. Whereas we are sad to have to say goodbye to her, we wish her all the best in looking after the menagerie! Janet has been a mainstay of the Patient Services Team since we first opened our premises in Wood Street and has seen the Practice change over the years and has kept our patients happy!
Our Defibrillator Fund
We’ve set up a fund to purchase a defibrillator for the Practice which we will make available to the community. This is a life saving device and it is something that could be vital in the event of the need to use it.
If you’d like to help then there is a collection box in the Reception area, ask one of the team, perhaps buy some cakes or indeed head over to our Just Giving page here:
New Treatments
We have introduced several new treatments to our portfolio, including:
Clear-a-Nail ™ - Clear-a Nail™ is an innovative treatment to clear fungal nail conditions by drilling tiny holes into the nail and allowing the medication to pass through the holes to kill the fungus. If you suffer from this annoying condition, please talk to one of the team who can advise further.
Biomechanics - we have introduced some new technology to aid gait analysis and to help provide better diagnostic information for biomechanical assessments. These include a walking machine to enable the podiatrists to more closely examine gait and associated issues. We will subsequently be introducing a camera to record the session and a product called Podosmart which comprises a set of insoles which are worn for a short while during normal walking outside and then report findings to a computer programme. More on this to follow.
Bespoke Orthotics - after a longer period of time than we would have liked due to a gap in our supply chain, we have now established a relationship with two companies who will provide ‘off the shelf’ orthotics (insoles) and bespoke insoles. We also have a product called ‘Formthotics’ which we would regard as ‘semi-bespoke’ because they can be formed at the clinic using a special machine.
Toeflex ™ - this is a treatment for damaged or unsightly nails, by the deployment of a lightweight and flexible Hybrid-gel.
Onyfix ™ - is a pain-free, non-surgical nail correction system. It provides rapid relief from painful in-growing and involuted nails and corrects the nail through physiological growth. It may be an alternative to nail surgery in some cases.
Verucca Pen ™ - is one of a number of new treatment options for troublesome verrucae. Utilising the latest plasma technology, the Verruca Pen PE II works on a verruca by disrupting the virus that hides in the skin. It evaporates the skin cells around it and then prompts an immune response from your body to fight the virus and clear the verruca.
More information can be found here: Services and Treatments
Around the Clinic:
Cycle to your appointment! For our clients who like (or would like) to cycle to their appointments, we have a cycle stand at the front of the building.
Information Display: There is a display screen in the reception area which provides important information for patients and details of new treatments available. We’ll add to this over the next few weeks but if you think of anything else that would be useful to see on the screen then please let one of the team know.
Don’t drop your walking stick! For those patients who use a walking stick, please be aware that we’ve installed walking stick holders, one just to the right of the reception desk and there’s also one in each of the clinics.
COVID-19
Current information on COVID-19 from the UK Government can be found here: (https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus). See also advice at the Royal College of Podiatry website https://cop.org.uk
The English and Welsh governments removed the requirement for face masks in healthcare settings unless there is a risk of “splashing” or increased COVID-19 infection risk. This was the last COVID-19 measure to have been removed and so this Practice follows that advice. That said, it will be a matter of personal choice for our patients and colleagues. Podiatrists will, however, continue to wear PPE (personal protective equipment) including face masks as appropriate.
COVID-19 is now considered to be simply another respiratory disease. So, as with any infectious disease or condition, particularly those affecting the respiratory system including colds, flu, COVID, it would be best to avoid contact with others and to reschedule your appointment if you are unwell.
All patients (and indeed all visitors) are advised of the following:
Your Wellness - please let us know via telephone or email if you are unwell and please do not enter the clinic if you are feeling unwell.
Your Appointment – please arrive no more than five minutes prior to your appointment start time.
Face Masks – you are not required to wear a face-mask whilst on the premises but we are happy for you to continue to wear one at your discretion.
Hand Sanitiser – hand sanitiser is provided from the dispensers in the reception areas.
Payments – please use contactless payment where possible (chip and PIN, mobile device) as we are minimising the handling of cash.
We’ll continue to provide updates so please do keep an eye on this website and any notices at the clinic.