When a diagnosis of clubfoot is first made, nothing is more important than information and support. To discover if parents receive the information they need when the condition is first diagnosed, we decided to ask some of you.

From February to April 2006, steps carried out a survey amongst parents who have given birth to a child with clubfoot within the last 2 years. The aim was to discover whether or not they were given enough information about their child's condition when it was first diagnosed.

Some of the most worrying figures were that 60% of parents felt that inadequate information was given about their child's condition when diagnosed. In addition, 60% of parents felt that they had problems obtaining their chosen treatment for their child. Although, as many of you know, different methods are available to treat clubfoot, most of the parents in the survey were only told about one form of treatment.

We also found that, although most parents were given some information at the hospital, 98% either searched the internet or consulted a specialised charity for more information.

Here is what some of you said:
"We were not given enough practical information by the hospital."
"The condition was diagnosed after birth but was ignored by the doctors. We were not told about any form of treatment at all"
"We had to wait 32 weeks for treatment. It was a very traumatic time."

At steps we feel that parents should be equipped by hospitals and GPs to make an informed choice about what treatment is best for their child. If they are only given information about one form of treatment, or none at all, this is not possible.

We do appreciate that the NHS is suffering under increased pressure but we also feel strongly about putting parents in the best possible position to make an informed choice. In the future we therefore hope to build a stronger bond with health professionals across the UK so we can give all parents the information and support they need, when they need it.