The Department of Health introduced the Any Qualified Provider (AQP) scheme in England in 2013. This prioritises adult podiatry services as a key area for development to increase the choice about which services can be used within the NHS.
Diabetes UK, through the Putting Feet First campaign, is calling on all healthcare systems to work together to proactively deliver an integrated foot care pathway across every local system of care to improve outcomes and reduce variation.
The AQP process for core adult podiatry services in England is focused on providing greater access to preventative podiatry care. Commissioners and new AQP providers will need to ensure services are delivered in a coordinated manner working closely with NHS providers. This is essential to avoid duplication, fragmentation of care and withdrawing resources from specialist service which will lead to poor quality care and outcomes.
This position statement provides commissioners and healthcare professionals providing diabetes foot care services with guidance about AQP to ensure implementation does not adversely impact on delivery and outcomes.
