Dr Caroline McIntosh, originally from Cramlington in Northumberland, has been appointed Head of Podiatry at NUI Galway and will manage the university’s School of Podiatry.
The new school offers the first Podiatry undergraduate programme available in the State leading to a BSc (Hons ). More than 20 students have been accepted onto the new course and will qualify in four years as healthcare professionals specialising in the management of disease and disorders of the lower limb and foot.
Podiatry is a healthcare profession specialising in the management of disease and disorder of the lower limb and foot. Podiatrists are educated in diagnosis and in planning and implementing interventions for all age groups.
A podiatrist works as an independent, autonomous practitioner demonstrating expertise in assessing, diagnosing and managing lower limb and foot related problems, and maintaining patient mobility.
Dr McIntosh joins NUIG from the Division of Podiatry at the University of Huddersfield, where she taught research methods, medicine, vascular assessment, diabetes and wound care since 2003 . Prior to her tenure at Huddersfield, Dr McIntosh worked with the British NHS as a Senior Podiatrist with Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust in North Yorkshire.
“With an ageing population, increasing diabetes and obesity, there is a growing demand for podiatrists in Ireland,” Dr McIntosh said, regarding her appointment. “Podiatry plays a critical role in managing patient health and quality of life. This is an extremely exciting position for me personally and for this area of the healthcare profession in Ireland.”
Throughout her career, Dr McIntosh has been involved in a number of research studies including two clinical trials investigating the effect of honey dressings on wound healing following toe-nail surgery.
Plans are currently underway for a Podiatry Clinic which will be developed by the Health Service Executive (HSE ) located in the Merlin Park campus of Galway Regional Hospitals but will primarily provide services to community based patients. The clinic will work in partnership with the university’s School of Podiatry to provide for the clinical education and training components of the programme.
For more information about NUIG’s BSc (Hons ) in Podiatry go to www.nuigalway.ie/podiatry/
