About us

About Hilary

The lead Podiatrist at Darwen Chiropody & Podiatry Clinic is Hilary Walton. After 17 years of dental nursing Hilary decided a change of career was needed. With 3 years studying and 2 children, she then graduated from the University of Salford in June 2006 with a BSc Honours in Podiatry.

Hilary started her podiatry career with the NHS in Blackburn with Darwen working in various clinics before branching out into Private practice in Bolton from 2008. In November 2018 she took over the successful Darwen Podiatry clinic and now operates from both the Darwen and Bolton clinics.

What is Podiatry

Podiatry is the universally recognised name for Chiropody. The change of name reflects the advances in the profession and also brings us in line with other countries where the name is well established. The terms chiropodist and podiatrist are currently interchangeable.

A podiatrist is a health care professional who can assess, diagnose and treat disorders of the lower limb. Once qualified, a podiatrist can deal with many problems that affect the feet such as: - Callus, corns, nail disorders, ingrowing toenails, verrucae, athlete's foot, sports injuries and heel pain. Neurological and circulatory disorders, such as those resulting from diabetes can also be managed and improved.

To qualify as a Podiatrist, a student must complete an honours degree at a recognised University with 1000 hours of clinical practice. Areas of study include anatomy, physiology, medicine, biomechanics and clinical practice amongst other subjects. GP's regularly refer patients to podiatrists because they recognise that we specialise in this area, and that more serious foot conditions can be prevented by early intervention.