At least every week we get asked this question, and the answer is not straightforward and requires a bit of a history lesson!
The term for a ‘Chiropodist’ and ‘Podiatrist’ are legally interchangeable protected titles. Anyone who refers to themselves as either must be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), who regulate their practice and continued learning. These professionals are qualified to treat problems with the lower limbs…. the legs and feet, and everything in between! Podiatrists and Chiropodists work in many different areas including private & NHS clinics, sports, wound care, Musculoskeletal care, Rheumatology, Research, Mental Health, Footwear, Forensics and even Podiatric surgery of the feet (which requires a lot more training!).
So how did these terms come about? Well, our profession was accelerated during the first world war with the greater involvement of officers tasked as ‘Foot Inspection Officers’ and upon return for civilians, many worked as ‘Chiropodists’ in their communities. Chiropodist has long been the traditional term used in British and Irish culture and following the introduction of formalised education with a diploma, this came to an end with the introduction of the degree awarded programme (around about the early 90s). This time was particularly relevant to the titles as the qualification changed from ‘Diploma in Chiropody’, to ‘Degree in Podiatry’. So, the more internationally recognised term ‘Podiatry’ saw its first official use in the UK. Some chose to convert to their diploma qualification to a degree, and many continued to refer to themselves as Chiropodists. The degree programme subsequently included certification to inject local anaesthetic into the feet, and issue prescription only medicines (POMS), primarily antibiotics and pain relief. This therefore meant that a more holistic approach to foot problems was imbedded into the education programme to become a fully-fledged Podiatrist… or Chiropodist if you prefer!
The final nod to the term Podiatry emerging as the dominant term came in 2018 when the Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists to the College of Podiatry (and later in 2021 the Royal College of Podiatry).
Foot Health Professionals can also be seen on the high street and mainly focus on nail care, they play an important role in meeting the population needs but are not as rigorously trained. There are also some variances in the level of training and hands-on experience that Foot Health Professionals may obtain prior to qualifying but training can be anything up to a year.