Diabetic foot problems cost the NHS an estimated £600 million per year, with foot problems being the most common cause of admission to hospital for people with diabetes (Gordois et al, 2003; Boulton et al, 2005). Every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world a limb is lost due to diabetes, equating to approximately 100 limbs a week in the UK — 85% of these diabetes-related amputations are preceded by foot ulceration (World Health Organization [WHO], 2005).