A TOENAIL-cutting service is making a huge difference to the lives of older people across East Lancashire.

And one user, whose determination helped bring the facility to the area, said it was preventing discomfort and the risk of falling for hundreds of pensioners.

East Lancashire Primary Care Trust joined with Burnley-based not-for-profit firm CareMart to run a pilot service in Pendle two years ago.

The move came after the borough's Older People's forum highlighted the problems in finding chiropodists to perform the simple job, which becomes impossible when people develop difficulties in bending down.

The service, which includes home visits and group sessions, has been so popular that it has now been rolled out into Burnley, and will be introduced in Rossendale, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley within the next few weeks.

Janet Farrar, 67, of Sheridan Road, Laneshawbridge, is one of the forum members who first campaigned for the service. She can manage to cut the nails on one foot, but until the facilities were set up, relied on her husband Rob to take care of the other.

She said: "There is nothing more frustrating than having painful toes and not being able to get down to them.

"It's a preventative thing as well, because if your nails are too long your shoes don't fit and you get extra pressure on your feet, leading to more serious things like corns and bunions."

Under the service, patients pay an initial £10 for their own footcare pack, containing clippers and files, for the CareMart chiropodist to use.

Sessions are held at community centres, where users can meet one another and socialise, as well as getting their toenails cut, for £6, with their own equipment, in a private room. Home visits can also be arranged, at a slightly increased cost.

Mrs Farrer, a former finance administrator at Burnley General Hospital, said the cost was "worth every penny". The service is particularly important for people with diabetes, which can cause loss of feeling in the feet, meaning problems can go unnoticed.

The PCT's Older People's Commissioning manager Elaine Nixon said: "Clients not only have regular attention and contact but they also often show a marked improvement in confidence and a general improvement in their sense of well-being."

For further information about the service, contact CareMart on 01282 441212, or visit your GP's surgery.