Community Podiatry referrals are moving online
From April 2026, Derbyshire Community Health Services’ Community Podiatry team will move to a fully digital self-referral system.
Paper referral forms will be phased out over a three-month transition period, with all referrals required to be submitted online by 1 July 2026.
How the new referral system works
Referrals will be made through SystmConnect, a secure online portal used across the NHS. Patients and healthcare professionals will be guided through a simple online questionnaire designed to assess foot health concerns quickly and safely. Referrals can be made here.
The system uses a clinical priority matrix to determine eligibility and assign one of five outcomes:
- Urgent
- Priority
- Routine
- Group education session
- Not eligible for NHS treatment
For high-risk cases, only a small number of key questions are needed to trigger an urgent assessment. Less urgent referrals include additional medical history to support accurate and fair triage.
Appointment timeframes
- Urgent referrals: seen within one week
- Priority referrals: seen within four weeks
Support
Support is available for anyone who is unable to complete the online form themselves. Please call 0115 8554030.
GPs may continue to submit traditional referrals; however, these may take longer to process.