National Diabetes Week runs from 12 to 19 July 2026, and this year's focus is on access to diabetes technology. Feet rarely get a mention in that conversation, yet diabetic foot ulcer prevention is one of the most effective and least talked about ways to avoid serious harm. This blog looks at why a diabetic foot check Sydney patients can access matters so much, what the Australian numbers actually show and what a proper check involves.
National Diabetes Week 2026: Feet Deserve a Seat at the Table
National Diabetes Week is Diabetes Australia's biggest annual campaign and this year it runs from 12 to 19 July. The theme centres on equitable access to diabetes technology, things like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps, and the gap between people who can access them and people who can't.
At Foot Balance Technology we'd add one more item to that list, and that's access to proper foot care.
"Feet are often the last thing people think about when they think about diabetes management," says Dr Sayed Ahmed, founder of Foot Balance Technology and holder of Australia's first PhD in Pedorthics. "Everyone focuses on blood glucose, but foot complications are one of the most preventable outcomes of diabetes and one of the most devastating when they're missed."
National Diabetes Week is a good prompt to ask yourself something simple. When did you last have your feet properly checked? For a lot of people, the honest answer is not since their diagnosis, or not for several years. This is where problems tend to creep in unnoticed.
Why People With Diabetes Need Regular Foot Checks
Diabetes affects the feet in two main ways and most complications come from a combination of the two.
The first is diabetic neuropathy, which is nerve damage that reduces or removes sensation, usually starting in the toes and feet. When sensation is reduced, small injuries like blisters, cuts or pressure sores can go completely unnoticed. Someone without neuropathy would feel a stone in their shoe within seconds. Someone with significant neuropathy might not even feel it while it's causing a wound.
The second is reduced circulation, sometimes the result of peripheral arterial disease. Poor blood flow means wounds heal more slowly and the body struggles to fight off infection. Put reduced sensation together with reduced healing capacity and a minor issue that would normally clear up quickly can become far more serious over a matter of weeks.
This is why diabetic foot ulcer prevention is about catching the small, painless things before they ever become big, painful ones. A callus that's starting to thicken. A patch of skin that's slightly redder than the rest. A shoe that's wearing unevenly on one side. None of these hurt, but they matter.
The Numbers Behind Diabetic Foot Ulcer Prevention
The statistics here are quite sobering.
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicates that one Australian loses part or all of a lower limb every three hours as a direct result of diabetes related foot disease. Over a year that adds up to more than 4,400 amputations across the country and around 10,000 hospital admissions for diabetes related foot ulcers.
People living with diabetes face roughly a 25 per cent lifetime risk of developing a foot ulcer, and the large majority of lower limb amputations are preceded by a foot ulcer that didn't heal. Diabetic foot disease costs the Australian health system around $875 million each year.
Most of this is preventable. Foot ulcers don't appear out of nowhere. They develop gradually, often from something as small as a callus, a crack or an area of pressure that nobody noticed. By the time an ulcer is visible, the underlying issue has usually been building for weeks or even months.
Who Is Most at Risk?
Anyone with diabetes carries some level of risk but certain factors increase it significantly. People who have had diabetes for longer, particularly more than ten years, face a higher chance of neuropathy and circulation problems. So do people who smoke, have a history of previous foot ulcers or amputations, or have complications like kidney or eye disease.
Older Australians are also at higher risk, partly because nerve and vascular changes related to diabetes tend to build up over time, and partly because age-related changes to skin, joints and balance compound the effect. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience disproportionately higher rates of diabetes related amputation.
Another risk factor is simply going too long between checks. Even people with well managed blood glucose can develop neuropathy or circulation changes over time. Good diabetes management overall doesn't automatically mean the feet are being watched closely enough.
If any of this sounds like you or someone you care for, the next routine foot check appointment is worth bringing forward.
Why Foot Checks Save Limbs
A six year study of diabetes related foot complications in Queensland found that hospital admissions, amputations and bed days all fell substantially over the study period, with total amputation rates dropping by around 40 per cent. That kind of improvement doesn't come from new medications. It comes from earlier detection, better footwear and consistent monitoring.
A regular foot check can identify the early warning signs of neuropathy and circulation problems, pick up pressure points before they become wounds and flag when footwear or orthotics need adjusting.
For people managing diabetes, an annual or twice yearly check with a podiatrist or pedorthist is one of the most cost effective pieces of preventive care available, and it's the difference between catching a problem at the watch this stage rather than the this needs surgery stage.
This Year's Theme: Technology Isn't Just Glucose Monitors
National Diabetes Week 2026 is rightly focused on access to diabetes technology. At Foot Balance Technology we'd argue custom orthotics and footwear technology belong in that conversation too.
Modern custom orthotics for diabetes are designed using CAD/CAM digital scanning and computer modelling rather than the plaster casts of the past, allowing for precise, repeatable results. 3D-printed orthotics take this further, producing devices tailored to the exact geometry of a person's foot, with the ability to vary density and support across different zones of a single insole - something that wasn't possible with older manufacturing methods.
"We talk a lot about technology in diabetes care, and rightly so," says Dr Ahmed. "But the technology that goes into a properly designed offloading insole is just as advanced as the technology in a glucose monitor. It just gets a lot less attention."
For people with diabetes, this technology is about redistributing pressure away from vulnerable areas of the foot, which is one of the core principles behind offloading insoles and diabetic foot ulcer prevention more broadly. A well designed device can take pressure off a spot that's been silently breaking down for months, without the person ever having to change how they walk or what shoes they wear day to day.
What a High-Risk Foot Screening Actually Involves
A proper diabetic foot assessment is more thorough than most people expect, and doesn't take long. It typically includes a sensation test using a monofilament or tuning fork to check for early neuropathy, a pulse and circulation check in the feet and lower legs, a skin and nail inspection for cracks, calluses, colour changes or early wounds and a review of footwear to check for pressure points, poor fit or signs of uneven wear.
If any of these raise a flag, the next step is usually a conversation about footwear, orthotics, NDIS diabetic footwear options or, in some cases, referral for further vascular or neurological assessment. None of it is invasive and for most people it's genuinely quick. Many patients are surprised at how much can be picked up in a single visit that's barely longer than a regular check-up.
In the Clinic: A Familiar Pattern
At Foot Balance Technology a typical high-risk presentation often follows a similar pattern. Someone comes in for an unrelated reason, perhaps new shoes or a general check-up, and during the assessment reduced sensation is identified in one or both feet, often without the person having noticed anything was wrong. A closer look might reveal a small area of callus building up under the ball of the foot, exactly where pressure has been concentrating without them realising.
Left alone, that callus can thicken, crack and eventually break down into a wound. Addressed early, it's a straightforward fix, usually a redistribution of pressure through footwear modification or a custom orthotic, combined with a plan for regular review. The patient walks out the same day with a clear plan and, in most cases, no idea anything serious was ever heading their way.
This is the entire point of diabetic foot ulcer prevention. The intervention at this stage is simple, while the intervention six months later, if the same issue is left unaddressed, often isn't. It's the same foot, the same underlying cause, but a very different outcome depending on when it was caught.
Funding and Access
Foot Balance Technology is a registered provider for NDIS, DVA, My Aged Care, Enable NSW, icare NSW and Workers Compensation, and accepts claims through Medibank, Bupa, HCF and other major health funds. For people with diabetes, custom orthotics, medical grade footwear and ongoing foot reviews can often be accessed at little to no out-of-pocket cost.
If you have a referral from your GP, podiatrist or diabetes educator, our team can help confirm what funding applies to your situation before your first visit. We understand that navigating funding options on top of managing diabetes can feel like one more thing to deal with, so we're happy to talk it through over the phone before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people with diabetes need regular foot checks?
Diabetes can reduce sensation and circulation in the feet, which means small injuries can go unnoticed and heal poorly. Catching things early is what regular checks are really for.
How often should a diabetic have a foot assessment?
At least once a year as a baseline. If you already have neuropathy, circulation issues or a history of foot ulcers, every three to six months is more appropriate.
What are early warning signs of diabetic foot problems?
Persistent redness, unusual warmth, calluses that keep coming back, cracks that won't heal, colour changes or numbness that wasn't there before.
Can diabetic foot ulcers really lead to amputation?
Yes, and in Australia most lower limb amputations related to diabetes were preceded by a foot ulcer that never healed properly. The good news is this is largely preventable.
Is a diabetic foot check covered by Medicare or NDIS in Australia?
Often, yes. A Diabetes Cycle of Care plan through your GP can subsidise podiatry visits, NDIS and DVA participants may have it funded through their plan, and many private health funds cover it under extras.
What happens during a diabetic foot assessment at Foot Balance Technology?
A look at your skin and nails, and a review of your footwear. We'll talk through next steps based on what we find.
Book Your Foot Check This National Diabetes Week
Most people don't need a reminder to manage their blood glucose. Feet are the part that quietly slips down the priority list, which is exactly why National Diabetes Week is worth using as a nudge.
If it's been more than twelve months since your last foot check, that's reason enough to book one. In the meantime, a quick daily glance at your own feet and a look at how your shoes are wearing can tell you more than you'd expect.
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Sayed Ahmed (PhD, Pedorthics) on 16 June 2026 Dr Sayed Ahmed is a Certified Pedorthist CM Australia, holder of Australia's first PhD in Pedorthics and founder of Foot Balance Technology. He is a registered provider for NDIS, DVA and a range of Australian government funding schemes.