About the Course
Podiatric Minor Surgery - CQC compliant procedures for advanced scope practitioners
The Institute of Podiatrists is proud to introduce its
comprehensive Podiatric Minor Surgery Course, developed in accordance with all
current legal and professional standards. This programme has been designed to
meet the requirements set by professional healthcare regulators for procedures
conducted within the podiatrist’s recognised scope of practice that do not require CQC registration. The current CQC regulation for surgical procedures can be found on the CQC website here https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/registration/scope-registration/regulated-activities/surgical-procedures
Delivered over six weeks, the course combines structured
theoretical learning with hands-on surgical skills training, ensuring
participants gain confidence, competence, and compliance in all aspects of
podiatric skin and nail surgery.
Benefits for Podiatrists
Completing this course provides podiatrists with significant
clinical and professional advantages:
✔ Expanded Clinical Skills
Gain hands-on, safe, and legally compliant surgical skills
that broaden your treatment scope and enable you to manage a wider range of
dermatological and nail pathologies in-house.
✔ Increased Patient Capacity
& Reduced Referrals. With competency in minor skin procedures, podiatrists can
reduce the need to refer patients elsewhere, improving continuity of care and
practice efficiency.
✔ Enhanced Professional
Confidence. Working with cadaver materials and practising a range of
surgical techniques ensures practitioners feel fully prepared to undertake
procedures independently.
✔ Compliance with Regulatory
Requirements. The course is aligned to the standards required by
professional regulators, giving podiatrists the confidence that their practice
meets all legal and safety expectations.
✔ Improved Patient Outcomes. By applying evidence-based protocols, enhanced infection
control practices, and robust consent procedures, podiatrists can ensure safe,
effective, and patient-centred surgical care.
✔ CPD & Career Development. Completing this training contributes valuable
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
and supports progression towards advanced roles or specialist clinical
pathways.
Course Schedule
Course Structure
Pre-Course Learning
Participants will complete a structured pre-course learning package to ensure foundational knowledge is in place ahead of the practical training.
This includes:
- Pre-course reading pack covering Local Anaesthesia, procedures, wound care and lesion identification
- Skin suture practice kit and guide, enabling learners to develop basic suturing skills at home
- Recorded presentation on PPE and surgical preparation, outlining essential safety and regulatory requirements
- Pre-course theory assessment (MCQ) to confirm understanding before progressing to the practical phase
Practical Training (2 Days, In-Person)
Delivered in a clinical teaching environment, the two-day practical component focuses on safe and effective surgical techniques. Participants will work with cadaver materials, giving a realistic, high-fidelity experience for:
- Incision and excision techniques
- Suturing and closure
- LA administration and technique refinement
- Handling of surgical instruments
- Electrosurgery
- Cryosurgery
- Curettage and lesion removal
- Folkner needling
- Nail surgery, including incisional procedures
This immersive training ensures each practitioner develops precision, dexterity, and clinical confidence.
Course Sylabus
Treatments and Techniques Covered
The course delivers comprehensive training in the following
treatment areas, with a strong emphasis on indications, contraindications,
safety, and correct use of instruments:
- Electrosurgery
for benign lesion removal
- Cryosurgery
for viral, benign, and superficial lesions
- Curettage techniques for appropriate lesion types
- Nail
Surgery, including incisional procedures for nail border issues and
soft tissue abnormalities
- Epidermal
cyst removal and management principles
- LA
techniques, dosage, complications, and advanced infiltration methods
- Folkner
needling, including patient selection and follow-up
Additional Key Areas Included:
Participants will be trained in all required supporting
competencies, including:
-
Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE)
Infection
prevention and control protocols
- Post-operative
dressing, wound care advice, and follow-up procedures
On completion of the course all delegates will receive:
-
Copy
of lecture slides for continued reference
-
Protocol
and procedure guidelines, aligned to professional and regulatory
standards
- Consent
form templates, ensuring best-practice documentation
CPD
certification
This course is priced at £1495 and includes all course materials listed above. A payment plan is offered should anyone need it:
£500 deposit, 4 additional Direct Debit payments at £250 (total payable £1550) please contact our team info@iop-uk.org.
Enrollment to this cohort closes on 1st May 2026. Max 12 delegates.
Podiatrists must hold HCPC/CQC registration, valid insurance and POM-A & POM-S, or POM-A and IP/SP.
Tutor
Bill Liggins trained at the Birmingham School of Chiropody and started his career as a private practitioner, additionally carrying out sessions in the Midlands NHS. Now a retired Consultant Podiatric Surgeon, Bill is a qualified teacher and has lectured widely on many subjects including local anaesthesia, nationally and internationally, particularly to Institute members but also to medical organisations.
Martin Harvey is a consultant Podiatrist at two Birmingham Hospitals dealing with both NHS and private patients. He also has a background in specialist NHS high risk podiatry clinics as well as having his own private podiatry practice in the West Midlands. He is a keen educator lecturing and teaching on specialist subjects to Podiatrists in the UK and abroad including having presented in mainland Europe and Canada.