Ulceration
A foot ulcer often begins under callus or at a pressure point that was never felt. Once open, healing is slow where circulation is reduced, and the wound needs sustained medical management.
Clinical & diabetic care
Diabetic Foot Assessment at Homein Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield& Across Hertfordshire
A thorough one-hour assessment for the early detection and treatment of complications including nerve damage and poor circulation, carried out at home by a qualified Foot Health Practitioner who spent over 20 years as a registered nurse.
1 hour · From £85.00
Qualified FHP · 20+ years nursing · Fully insured with Balens Ltd
Why clients trust Alicegate Foot Health Practice
- Qualified Foot Health Practitioner (FHP)
- 20+ years of nursing experience
- Fully insured with Balens Ltd
- Home visits across Hertfordshire
- Cash or bank transfer on the day
About Diabetic Foot Assessment
Diabetes affects feet in two ways that matter more than any other. Peripheral neuropathy dulls sensation, so injuries are not felt. Peripheral arterial disease reduces blood supply, so injuries heal slowly. Together they turn small problems into serious ones without pain to warn you.
The diabetic foot assessment is a structured, thorough examination designed to detect those complications early, while there is still time to act. It runs for one hour and includes treatment as well as assessment, so anything found that needs attention is dealt with during the same visit.
The assessment covers sensation, circulation, skin integrity, nail condition, foot shape and pressure points, and footwear. Findings are explained clearly, both to you and, where you wish, to the family member or carer supporting you.
This does not replace your annual NHS diabetic foot check. It sits alongside it, providing regular professional attention between those reviews at intervals that suit your risk level, commonly every six to eight weeks.
Why professional care matters
The whole point of diabetic foot care is catching what you cannot feel. That requires someone who knows what a pre-ulcerative lesion looks like, what a change in skin temperature or colour signifies, and when a finding needs escalating today rather than at your next review. Nse Murray's 20 years as a registered nurse is exactly the background that judgement comes from.
Who this is for
- Anyone living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- People who have been told they have reduced sensation in their feet
- Clients with a history of foot ulceration or slow-healing wounds
- Older diabetic clients who can no longer inspect or reach their own feet
- Family members arranging safe, regular foot care for a relative with diabetes
When it is needed
- You have diabetes and no one is checking your feet regularly
- Sensation has changed: numbness, tingling or burning
- A cut, blister or area of redness is not healing as it should
- Nails or hard skin need cutting and you have been advised not to do it yourself
- Feet feel cold, or the skin colour has changed
What happens if it is left untreated
Infection that spreads
Any break in the skin on a diabetic foot can become infected quickly, and infection in a poorly perfused foot can move from skin to deeper tissue.
Delayed detection
Without regular inspection, the first sign of a problem is often blood on a sock or a smell from a dressing. By then the damage is well established.
Common mistakes we see
- Cutting your own toenails when advised not to
- Using medicated corn plasters or bladed hard-skin removers
- Soaking feet in hot water that cannot be accurately felt
- Wearing new shoes for a long day without checking for rubbing
- Waiting for pain before seeking help: pain may never come
How the appointment works, step by step
Step 1
History and risk review
Diabetes type, control, duration, medication, previous ulceration and any known neuropathy or vascular disease are recorded to establish your risk level.
Step 2
Sensation assessment
Protective sensation is assessed to identify neuropathy: the loss of the warning system that would normally tell you something is wrong.
Step 3
Circulation and skin assessment
Circulation indicators, skin colour, temperature, integrity, callus, pressure points, toe web spaces and nail condition are all examined carefully.
Step 4
Treatment on the day
Nails are cut and reduced safely, callus is pared back to relieve pressure and any area needing a dressing is treated during the same appointment.
Step 5
Findings, escalation and review
Everything found is explained, any concern requiring GP or podiatry input is flagged clearly, and a review interval is agreed based on your risk.
What you get from the treatment
Problems found before they hurt
Where sensation is reduced, structured inspection is the only reliable early warning system available.
Nail and skin care done safely
No home clippers, no blades, no acid plasters: the highest-risk sources of injury are removed entirely.
Nursing-grade judgement
Over 20 years of nursing experience informs what gets treated, what gets monitored and what gets escalated today.
Pressure relieved before it ulcerates
Reducing callus at high-pressure sites removes one of the most common precursors to a diabetic foot ulcer.
Family kept informed
Findings are explained to relatives and carers where you want them to be, so care continues between visits.
No travel required
The assessment happens in your own home, which matters when mobility is already limited.
Diabetic Foot Assessment in detail
Neuropathy: the loss of the warning system
Peripheral neuropathy typically begins at the toes and progresses upwards in a stocking distribution. It may present as numbness, tingling, burning or an odd sensation of walking on cotton wool, and sometimes it presents as nothing noticeable at all, which is the most dangerous version.
Once protective sensation is lost, a stone in a shoe, a seam pressing on a toe or a blister from a new pair of shoes can cause tissue damage without ever registering as pain. Assessment identifies whether that protection is intact, and that single finding changes how carefully the feet need to be managed from then on.
Circulation and healing
Peripheral arterial disease reduces blood flow to the feet. Signs include cold feet, colour changes, shiny or hairless skin, slow-healing minor wounds and cramping pain in the calf on walking that eases with rest.
Circulation determines healing. A minor graze on a well-perfused foot resolves in days; the same graze on a poorly perfused foot may take weeks and can become the starting point of an ulcer. Where circulation findings are concerning, you will be advised to seek medical assessment rather than simply being monitored.
Daily checks and footwear
Between appointments, feet should be looked at every day: tops, soles, heels and between the toes. Use a mirror on the floor or ask a relative if bending or eyesight makes it difficult. Look for redness, blisters, cuts, swelling, colour change and anything discharging.
Shoes should be checked inside with a hand before every wear, in case of a stone, a fold or a protruding seam. Buy footwear with depth and width at the toes, break new shoes in gradually, and never walk barefoot indoors or outdoors. Socks should be seam-free where possible and changed daily.
How this fits with your NHS care
Everyone with diabetes in the UK is entitled to an annual foot check through their GP surgery or diabetes service, and higher-risk patients are usually seen more frequently by NHS podiatry. This assessment does not replace that and is not intended to.
What it adds is regular, unhurried professional attention in between: the routine nail and callus care that keeps risk low, plus a trained set of eyes on your feet every few weeks rather than once a year. Where a finding needs NHS input, you are told so directly.
Related treatments
- Nail Cutting & Filing Only | 30 minutes, From £65.00
- Pressure Ulcer | 45 minutes, From £75.00
- Hard Corns & Calluses | 1 hour, From £75.00
- All treatments and prices →
Areas covered for home visits
- Hertfordshire
- Welwyn Garden City
- Hatfield
- St Albans
- Potters Bar
- Codicote
- Hertford
- Stevenage
- Borehamwood
- Welwyn
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hitchin
- Enfield
- Barnet
New to the practice? Read about the practice or meet Nse Murray.
Diabetic Foot Assessment: your questions answered
- How much does a diabetic foot assessment cost?
- From £85.00 for a one-hour home visit, which includes both the assessment and treatment carried out on the day.
- How often should a diabetic have their feet checked?
- Alongside your annual NHS diabetic foot check, most clients are seen every six to eight weeks for routine care and inspection. Higher-risk feet may need more frequent visits.
- Does this replace my NHS diabetic foot check?
- No. It sits alongside NHS care and provides regular professional attention between reviews. Anything that needs medical input is flagged for your GP or podiatry service.
- Can I cut my own toenails if I am diabetic?
- It is generally advised against, particularly where sensation or circulation is reduced. Professional nail cutting removes the risk of an unnoticed cut.
- What if you find an ulcer or an infection?
- You will be told immediately and advised to contact your GP or diabetes foot service without delay. Nse's nursing background means those signs are recognised properly.
- Is treatment included or is it assessment only?
- Treatment is included. Nail care, callus reduction and dressing where required are all carried out during the same hour.
- Can a family member be present?
- Yes, and it is often helpful. Findings and daily care advice can be explained to whoever supports you at home.
- Do you visit housebound and bed-bound clients?
- Yes. Care for housebound, bed-bound and vulnerable clients is a core part of the practice.
- How do I pay?
- Cash or bank transfer, on the day of your appointment or soon after treatment.
- Which areas of Hertfordshire do you cover?
- Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, St Albans, Potters Bar, Codicote, Hertford, Stevenage, Borehamwood and the surrounding area.
Comfortable Feet, Treated ProperlyWithout Leaving Your Home
Tell Nse what is troubling you and she will call you back to arrange a convenient appointment. Qualified Foot Health Practitioner, 20+ years of nursing experience, fully insured with Balens Ltd.