High Risk Foot

In reply to the Hon. K.L. VINCENT (1 March 2017).

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change): The Minister for Health has received this advice:

1. The main focus of diabetes prevention in South Australia is in policy and program development that supports people to make healthy choices to reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

SA Health supports general practice with initiatives such as education and screening to assist in diabetes prevention. SA Health provides the get healthy information and coaching service that assists adults to improve the management of type 2 diabetes.

2. Foot screening and care is one of the identified screening priorities to be supported in general practice education and with the primary health care networks (PHN's).

There are eight metropolitan and 10 country based High Risk Foot Clinics in SA Health. These are multidisciplinary clinics providing management plans for people with high risk of complications of the foot and lower limbs.

3. Limbs4Life is a national peer support organisation that provides training to volunteers. The volunteers support clients who have undergone an amputation. SA Health has included the role of Limbs4Life volunteers in the Transforming Health lower limb amputation pathway. SA Health rehabilitation team's work with Limbs4life to match suitable peer support volunteers to new clients.

4. The minister supports local health networks to continue to work with peer support volunteers, who are trained by amputee support organisation such as Limbs4Life. These authorised volunteers are credentialed to work with clients at this vulnerable time.

5. The SA Health Statewide Rehabilitation Clinical Network 'Model of Amputee Rehabilitation in South Australia', and the current pathway being developed under a Transforming Health framework, articulate that Limbs4Life volunteer peer support is an integral component of recovery after amputation. SA Health and I support the continued access to peer support volunteers through this program.