NHS Footwear
Guidelines for clients who are entitled to NHS prescribed footwear.
It is important to note that whilst The Cordwainer is happy to work alongside all Health Service providers, the provision of footwear through the NHS is at the sole discretion of the clinician/orthotic department concerned.
Some NHS service providers are happy to have The Cordwainer provide a service for their patients while others will only use their established suppliers. As The Cordwainer is not an approved supplier, this might influence the decision whether or not to use The Cordwainer as a supplier.
I have no desire to supply any specific hospital with an extensive footwear service, only to be able to take on specific patients where for any reason the correct footwear has not been able to be provided.
If you have not had footwear from the NHS before.There are two possible routes to the service you need. If you are not under a specialist or consultant, you must first see your GP who will refer you to your local service provider. Usually you will first see a Specialist Consultant related to your disability who will then prescribe the footwear you need, then pass you on to the Orthotic or Surgical Appliance Department who are responsible for the provision of the footwear. Here an Orthotist will measure you for footwear and the Head of Department will decide which supplier will be most suitable for the supply of the footwear.
If you are already under the care of a consultant they might well refer you directly to the Orthotic or Surgical Appliance Department. In any case you would have to explain why you would wish me to make your footwear rather than the service provided by the hospital. From my experience it is unlikely you will have footwear made by me in this instance.
If you have had footwear from the NHS before.
If you are happy with your existing footwear then the service provider will assess your need for further footwear. If you have not been happy with the footwear you have been wearing, you should make this known to the clinic where you received the service and give them the opportunity to make what alterations are required to correct the problem. If the problems cannot be resolved then each hospital will have a Patient Support Manager who will take on your complaint and seek to remedy any problem.
If the problems cannot be resolved through these means then you have the choice to have your shoes made privately or ask if the hospital / service provider would consider using The Cordwainer as the supplier for your footwear. They will then make the decision based on clinical need and financial implications whether or not they wish to use The Cordwainer as a supplier.
If you have had footwear privately but seek future footwear through the NHS.
Occasionally private clients ask if future items of footwear could be made through the NHS. Again it is at the discretion of the service provider if they will authorise the work to be done by The Cordwainer, based on the above criteria. Experience shows that hospitals are keen to provide a good service to their patients and in most cases this has been allowed but it is at the discretion of the service provider.
Why is The Cordwainer not an approved supplier to the NHS.
On two occasions in the past ten years, The Cordwainer completed all the work necessary to be accepted on to the list of Approved Suppliers. This included installing a Quality Control System and meeting certain financial criteria, all at a cost of many thousands of pounds. On both occasions the applications were not considered because of technicalities. (Application lost in the post and application not completed on time).
In any case, being an Approved Supplier does not guarantee any work from the NHS, and therefore we have taken the decision to remain separate from the Approved Suppliers list, a decision which seems justified as an increasing number of hospitals and clinics are using The Cordwainer as a supplier based on the excellent record we have of making footwear for clients with disabilities. It is accepted that The Cordwainer is unique in its ability to “troubleshoot” problems and stands alone in the North West of England as an accessible and affordable provider of highly specialised orthopaedic footwear.
The Cordwainer. 99 Railway Road, Leigh, Lancashire. WN7 4AD. Tel: 01942 739700