"Podiatry appointment"

Attended a podiatry appointment recently at Ballymena Health Centre. While the assessment itself was helpful, I did not find the overall tone particularly reassuring. I understand that my feet may not be in the best condition due to health reasons rather than my care of them. However a more supportive and constructive approach would have been appreciated rather than bluntly being told ‘my feet are not in good condition.’

I also felt uncomfortable with a comment made during the consultation when asked if photos could be taken of my feet. The podiatrist made a joke about them being used on an OnlyFans account. I understand this may have been intended as a joke, but it came across as unexpected as there had been nothing like this joked about or talked about beforehand. The conversation prior to that has all been about my feet. It felt out of place in a clinical setting, and it made me feel uneasy. 

There were also a couple of questions eg what school had I attended. Given I have left school over 30 years ago I was confused why it had been asked as didn’t seem directly relevant to my care and again had been asked with no conversation to set the context. 

I wanted to share this feedback in the hope that it helps ensure patients feel comfortable, respected and at ease during their appointments.