Under evaluation with potential for adoption
PelliTec blister prevention pads in diabetic foot management
PelliTec blister prevention pads have been available since 2019 and are widely used by active people. The circular pads stick on the inside of footwear, not on the skin, and the gel interior and cushioning top layer prevent the friction which causes blisters.
Due to neuropathy and poor blood flow people with diabetes need to look after their feet. A simple lesion such as a blister can become infected, leading to the development of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). These are difficult to treat and may require a lower limb amputation.
The PelliTec pads are used to prevent this.
About
There are nearly five million people with diabetes in the UK and at any one time the NHS is treating 75,000 DFUs. It is estimated that around 20 per cent of these DFUs could be prevented through good footcare, particulary reducing the risk of blisters and other lesions which are at risk of infection.
The use of PelliTec pads in diabetic foot care was first assessed through an Innovation Agency-led Patient Engagement Group which showed the pads made footwear more comfortable. This gave confidence to take the pads into a multi-disciplinary NHS podiatry clinic where it was shown that use of the pads over a 12-week period stopped the recurrence of diabetic foot ulcers in a high-risk cohort who had previously had a healed DFU.
The NHS spends 0.8 per cent of its budget on diabetic foot care - around £1bn. Approximately one third of the cost is spent on 15,000 amputations per year caused by incurable DFUs. If PelliTec pads stop just five per cent of these amputations this would be a saving of £20m/year. The cost of supplying pads for a year is less than £100 per patient.
In addition to the savings there are the benefits of reduced community care for people with diabetes who do not have to suffer an amputation. An amputee's life chances reduce by 50 per cent within five years of an amputation.
The PelliTec pads are readily available from distributors to podiatrists and included on an NHS framework.
