Pensioner says his toenails are more important than Christmas

A PENSIONER who ‘ simply’ wants to have his toenails cut by a professional podiatrist has been told he will have to pay privately to have them done.

But he claims that because the council spends cash on ‘ waste’, it can afford to pay for his pedicure.

David Gallant, a community councillor, has even completed a Freedom of Information re- quest to find out who is eligible for free nail- cutting, and why he is not.

Mr Gallant, a railway timetable expert, said: ‘I have carried out research on this issue and there are some examples of people who are suffering from the decision not to increase spending on social care in line with inflation and not in line with increasing need due mainly to ageing population.

‘NHS Highland has ruled that its podiatrists must not cut toenails for disabled people because that is now the job of the council.

‘Social workers instructed a care firm to do this. But the care firm says its staff are not qualified to do this kind of work.

‘My GP refused a referral on the grounds that NHS Highland podiatrists are now banned from carrying out this type of work, so GP referrals and self-referrals are no longer permitted.

‘ Yet councillors always find plenty of money to waste on projects like Christmas trees, fireworks displays, Hogmanay parties, subsidising Oban Live, lighting up Oban Bay, lighting up McCaig’s Tower and, worst of all, spending millions on an unwanted Oban Airport when using seaplanes or helicopters would be much cheaper.

‘The decision is not acceptable. NHS Highland told me that it had arranged for care staff to attend training courses in cutting toenails, led by podiatrists, or is it denying that these ever took place?

‘It is clear that Argyll and Bute Council’s social work department is a complete and utter shambles.’

A FOI request to Argyll and Bute Council on the number of toenails that had been cut was rejected by the authority. It claimed: ‘I have to advise that the information you requested is information not held by the council.’

Mr Gallant disagreed with the local authority and said individual social work offices must have the information recorded on file, and that he has now taken the matter to the ombudsman.

A Health and Social Care Partnership spokesperson said: ‘Toenail cutting is not generally a component of care.

‘Our aim is always to ensure that the available help takes into account all care requirements of an individual.’