The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will conclude its work this Parliament in March 2026 ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election. So the Committee has time to complete its work, it has agreed not to consider petitions submitted after 10 October.
The Committee will continue to meet but given the volume of petitions and agreed work programme it is unlikely that the Committee would be able to meaningfully progress work on petitions submitted after 10 October ahead of the election. Petitions lodged after this date will not fall when the Parliament is dissolved and will be for the successor committee to consider in the new session.
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Under consideration PE2186: Review the Personal Footcare Guidance to ensure equity to access footcare services in rural and remote areas in Scotland.
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the Personal Footcare Guidance to ensure equity of access to toenail cutting services in rural and remote areas of Scotland. Everyone should have access to healthcare, including footcare services, no matter where they live. To deny people access leaves them vulnerable to infection, less mobile and more at risk of falling. The Personal Footcare Guidance fails to consider mitigations to ensure equity of access to toenail cutting services.
Background information
The Personal Footcare Guidance outlines who can carry out personal footcare, including clipping and filing toenails, based on a risk assessment. This includes the person, their family, friends or carers. Even if you are entitled to personal care, you can wait months to be assessed. Some carers do not always cut toenails or are not trained, and paying a podiatrist can cost over £40. You also may not be able to get a carer due to where you live.
Lack of this vital service detrimentally impacts on people’s mobility and they are more likely to suffer a serious fall. They are also more vulnerable to cuts on their feet due to inappropriate toenail cutting, leading to increased risk of infection, sepsis or even gangrene. This can lead to longer hospital stays, impacting on people’s independence and quality of life while they wait for a personal care plan before discharge.
84 signatures
This petition is now under consideration
Click here for further information about the consideration of this petition.