North Manchester Leg Circulation Service

The North Manchester Leg Circulation Service is a new service set up in the community with the aim to help identify and diagnose peripheral arterial disease (PAD) for residents in North Manchester.

PAD affects more than 2.7 million people in the UK and it's estimated that approximately 2,200 people in North Manchester could be living with the condition but aren't aware of it.

PAD is caused by fatty plaques (atherosclerosis) developing inside the arteries, reducing the blood flow to the legs. The typical symptom, called intermittent claudication, is a cramp-like pain in the calves, thigh or buttocks when walking or exercising.

Importantly, PAD is an early indicator of significant arterial disease elsewhere in the body. People with PAD are six times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those without the disease and therefore need to be identified early and treated to help reduce these risks.

Significantly, Manchester has one of the highest levels of mortality rates for cardiovascular disease and strokes in the country.

The Leg Circulation Service is actively engaged in raising local awareness on PAD as it's often under diagnosed and undetected.

The Leg Circulation Service consists of a team of clinicians who want to help increase local peoples awareness of the risk factors that contribute to PAD and to also convey the message that leg pain isn't just a sign of getting older.

FACTS:

The risk of PAD increases with age.

In the UK, around one in six people over the age of 55 have some degree of PAD.

By the time they reach 70, around 15-20% of people will have some form of PAD.

Risk particularly increases if a person smokes, has diabetes, raised cholesterol, high blood pressure, or is overweight

A local resident, Mr Hegarty, who was referred to the Leg Circulation Service after visiting his GP complaining of leg pain (and could only walk 100 yards before calf pain stopped him) said, “There was no judgement made about my bad habits around smoking and eating and in return I felt I could be more honest. This honesty helped me to accept the changes I had to make. Since making changes, I can now walk double the distance I could when I first went to the clinic.”

Local GP Dr Liam McGrogan said of the new service, “This is a valuable service which is able to see patients quickly in a community setting, assess them to a high standard and in many cases avoid stressful visits to hospital. From a commissioners perspective it provides an easily accessible and cost-effective alternative to a traditional out-patient appointment and highlights the skills available within the clinical community”.

 

To contact the North Manchester Leg Circulation Service email Lisa Smith: Lisa.Smith@manchester.nhs.uk