COVID-19

Dear Patient:

We hope that you, your family and your friends remain in good health. We’re all aiming to resuming a more normal life and although many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your care and safety.

We wanted to give you an update on the changes you’ll find when you visit.

Infection control has always been a top priority for us and no doubt you have experienced this if you’ve visited us before. Our clinic follows stringent standards of infection control to ensure that when you receive care, it is both safe and comfortable.

We are now introducing new protocols to operate safe and efficient optical care for all our patients, our staff and our wider community following the COVID-19 crisis.

You’ll find things are a little different when it’s time for your next appointment. We are making these changes and revising our protocols to help protect our patients and staff. Before you come to see us, a team member will guide you through these changes.

For example:

  • Before your appointment, a COVID-19 questionnaire and health form will be emailed to you. These questionnaires must be completed before you arrive. You will be asked the same questions again when you are in the treatment rooms.
  • On arrival, we will ask you to use hand sanitizer and possibly to wear personal protective items which may include a face mask
  • Your forehead temperature will be checked using a medical grade thermometer.
  • We’ll ask you to come into the building on your own whenever possible in order to reduce the number of people within the practice. For those patients who need a guardian to accompany them, we ask that this be limited to a single family member.
  • Reception waiting areas and communal spaces will be clearly marked out, respecting social distance recommendations.
  • We will ask you not to use the toilet facilities if possible
  • Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients.
  • This may mean that you are initially offered fewer options for arranging your appointment. We’ll do our best to ensure waiting times are minimised.
  • We will implement a daily health screening check of all staff entering the workplace.
  • We will take steps to minimise staff interaction.
  • You are likely to see your optometrist, surgeon and nursing staff wearing additional PPE.
  • Our treatment rooms are built with operating-theatre standards of air handling to maintain a healthy working environment
  • We will decontaminate treatment rooms between each patient to help ensure a safe virus-free environment. All communal areas of the practice will be decontaminated prior to practice opening, at lunchtime and at the end of the day.
  • Where possible, review appointments, follow-ups and initial consultations maybe completely over the phone or using video connections.
  • Whenever possible, all payments and further appointments will be made over the phone.
  • Our reception areas will no longer offer newspapers and magazines since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.

As the COVID-19 global knowledge base grows we expect further recommendations which will impact how we deliver your dental care. The integration of additional infection control measures, modified treatment procedures, revised practice protocols and any other safety recommendations will be addressed by the practice when advice is provided by our professional governing bodies.

Best regards

Rob Morgan