In short: Podiatry Healthcare Group is a Melbourne podiatry practice founded on a simple idea — explain the diagnosis in language people actually understand, treat the cause rather than the symptom, and take the time to do both properly. Principal podiatrist Gideon Poratt has been practising since 1991 and is a member of the Australian Podiatry Association.
What makes us different
We take a holistic approach to your complete foot care. In practice that means three things.
We discuss your diagnosis in a language that you understand. Not because the clinical detail does not matter, but because you cannot follow a treatment plan you were never really told about. If you leave an appointment unsure what is wrong with your foot, something has gone wrong.
We use technology that genuinely complements your care — our GenesisPlus laser, treadmill and video gait analysis for orthotic assessment — rather than technology for its own sake.
And we treat the whole person. Feet do not exist in isolation. Addressing an immediate problem while ignoring what caused it is how people end up back in the same chair a year later with the same complaint.
What we strive to do
- Treat each patient on a personal and individual basis, not as a diagnosis on a list.
- Pass on our advice and knowledge, so you can look after your own feet properly long after the appointment ends.
- Be honest about what will help and what will not — including telling you when you do not need the more expensive option.
What you will find here
Confidence in highly trained professionals. Comfort in knowing we take the utmost care. And relief in a comprehensive treatment plan that has been thought through rather than reached for.
Meet the team
Two podiatrists, both AHPRA registered, both here long enough that most patients see the same face each visit. Between them they cover everything the practice offers, and they share the clinics rather than each keeping their own.
Gideon Poratt — Principal Podiatrist
Gideon graduated from La Trobe University’s Lincoln School of Health Sciences in 1991 and has more than 30 years of experience. He is a member of the Australian Podiatry Association of Victoria.
He began his career at the Inner South Community Health Service in South Melbourne, where he developed both a broad range of podiatry skills and the holistic approach to foot care that still shapes the practice today. Gideon works across all aspects of podiatry, with particular focus on gerontology, sports biomechanics and paediatrics, as well as the management of complications caused by diabetes.
A large share of his week is now nail and skin work. He treats fungal nail infections and plantar warts with the practice’s GenesisPlus Nd:YAG 1064nm laser, which is FDA-cleared for both. He introduced the laser to the practice in 2012 and does most of the training on it, so if you are booked for a laser course it will usually be Gideon you see. He is also candid about the limits: not every discoloured nail is fungal, not every wart needs the laser, and the assessment comes before the recommendation.
He is committed to serving the local community, and outside the clinic he keeps active with his family and three children.
Qualifications: B.App.Sc (Pod), M.A.Pod.A. Member, Australian Podiatry Association (Victoria). AHPRA registered.
Bryce Foothead — Podiatrist
Bryce graduated from the University of Technology in Auckland in 2003. Shortly afterwards he relocated to Melbourne and found work in private practice alongside Gideon.
Bryce also spent time managing a technical footwear store — experience that gives him an unusually practical understanding of how shoes affect athletic performance and how the right pair can reduce pain and injury. That is a genuinely rare combination in podiatry, and patients with stubborn running injuries tend to benefit from it most.
He embraces all facets of podiatry including diabetes assessments, paediatrics, nail surgery, and general skin and nail care, with a particular passion for lower-limb biomechanics — treating sports injuries through exercise and orthotic therapy. He also treats fungal nail infections and warts, and shares the laser list with Gideon. Being a typical Kiwi, his love of rugby can at times be an occupational hazard.
Qualifications: B.Pod, Auckland University of Technology (2003). AHPRA registered.
How we decide what to recommend
We start from what the evidence supports, and we say so plainly when it is thin. For fungal nails that means being straight with you about success rates and how long a nail takes to grow out; for warts it means telling you that some resolve without treatment at all. Patients sometimes ask us about complementary and natural approaches, and we are happy to have that conversation — including where the research does not back them up. What we will not do is recommend something as a treatment for your condition unless there is decent evidence behind it.
Common questions
How long has the practice been running?
Gideon has been practising since graduating in 1991, and Podiatry Healthcare Group now operates from four clinics across Melbourne — Burwood East, Clayton, St Helena and Windsor. You can see them all on our locations page.
Are your podiatrists registered?
Yes. All practising podiatrists in Australia must be registered with AHPRA, and ours are. Gideon is additionally a member of the Australian Podiatry Association of Victoria, the profession’s peak body.
Will I see the same podiatrist each time?
Wherever possible, yes — continuity matters, particularly for ongoing conditions. Because we are a small team you will not be passed between a dozen different clinicians. If you have a preference, mention it when you book.
Do you see children?
Yes. Both Gideon and Bryce practise paediatrics, and we see children from toddlers through to teenagers. See children’s podiatry for what an appointment involves.
This page is general information, not personal medical advice. Reviewed by Gideon Poratt, Principal Podiatrist (B.App.Sc (Pod), M.A.Pod.A), a member of the Australian Podiatry Association. Please book an assessment for advice specific to your feet.