Corona Virus

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS: KEEPING YOU AND OUR TEAM SAFE

Reception is set up to allow social distancing whilst interacting with the Receptionist, complete with perspex screens and a vinyl covered chair.

We have worked hard to put COVID-19 precautions in place. Keeping you and our Team safe if our priority, and it is lovely to hear feedback from our patients that they feel confident in our measures.

Despite the Government announcement regarding relaxation of COVID rules on 19 July 2021, we are not planning any significant changes to our procedures at this time. With the number of local cases remaining high, we are mindful of the close contact that we have with patients and the number of vulnerable people that attend the Clinic. We therefore want to be sure that we are doing everything we can to keep everyone safe.

As always, we will be making regular Risk Assessments, and will adapt our policies and procedures accordingly.   At all times our protocols will be designed to comply with Infection Control advice from National Institute for Public Health(was Public Health England), and guidance from our regulatory body, the General Chiropractic Council.

Our procedures are outlined below, but you can find further detail regarding the policies and procedures in place in our related blog.

Despite these COVID-19 precautions, there remains an inherent risk of transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Whilst working hard to manage and minimise risks, Haslemere Chiropractic Clinic cannot guarantee that there is no risk as a result of attending the Clinic. Patients will be attending at their own risk.

PLEASE DO NOT COME FOR AN APPOINTMENT IF YOU ARE UNWELL OR AT RISK OF HAVING COVID-19. If you are unsure, please take a Lateral Flow Test.

If you need to cancel your appointment on the day because you are unwell, or are concerned that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, we will waive the usual cancellation fee. Please let us know as soon as you are aware of the situation. If you are unsure about any relevant symptoms, such as a runny nose, headache or sneezing, we ask that you take a Lateral Flow Test before you attend Clinic. Lateral Flow Tests are available Free of Charge from any pharmacy.

We are no longer temperature checking on the doorstep, and will stop the online Pre-Screening Questionnaire from 19 July 2021. However, we ask our patients to continue to remain cautious, and not to attend if they are in any doubt about their COVID-19 status. Double vaccination does not exempt you from this level of caution.

WHO CAN COME?

Treatment can be offered to anyone, including those in higher risk and vulnerable groups.

We are particularly mindful that certain groups have weaker immune systems than others, and even with double vaccination may remain more vulnerable to infection. This particularly applies to the over 70s, those with long term health conditions, and anyone with a compromised immune system (e.g. undergoing chemotherapy).

If you fall into a vulnerable group, or have close contact with someone who falls into these categories, please let us know before your appointment if you are concerned. The Receptionist will be happy to talk you through our COVID-19 precautions to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep you safe, and can arrange a call from the Chiropractor if this is helpful.

As an alternative to face-to-face appointments, the chiropractors are happy to offer telephone or video consultations if you are concerned that attending the Clinic poses an unacceptable risk, or you simply want some advice.  Please do get in touch if you are struggling, and we will do our best to help whatever your situation. Visit our Blog “Online Consultations: Your Guide” to find out how video consultations work, or call Reception for further information.

THE “COVID-19” EXPERIENCE IN CLINIC

Before you come:

We are no longer performing Health Checks or online Pre-Screening. However, we ask that you do not come to the Clinic if you are at risk of having COVID-19. If you are unsure about any relevant symptoms, you must take a Lateral Flow test before attending.

Please only bring essential personal possessions.

All Team members will be wearing PPE. For the chiropractors this includes a medical mask, apron and gloves.

Come alone. If you need to be accompanied for a medical reason, let us know in advance. We ask that you do everything possible to avoid bringing children, and regret that we will request that children older than 11 years old wait in the Car Park.

Arrive a few minutes before your appointment time (but no more than 5 mins before), to allow time to make payment before you go through for your treatment.

When you arrive:

Please come in, but if there is already someone in Reception wait in the hallway. If you would prefer to wait outside, ring the door bell and the Receptionist will be with you as soon as possible. It remains a Public Health England requirement masks for medical appointments, so we request that our patients continue to wear them.

There is a hand sanitiser dispenser in the hallway, and on the Reception desk, so that you can sanitise your hands when you come in.

The Receptionist will take payment, and book your next appointment if you know when you want to come, before showing you through to an empty treatment room to wait for the Chiropractor.

 Keeping safe during your treatment:

Our Consulting Room layout has been adapted to allow 2m social distancing for parts of the consultation which do not require close proximity.

Wherever possible, the Clinic layout has been organised to allow social distancing at 2m. You will notice that the Treatment Rooms have been arranged to enable the chair that you sit in to be 2m from the chiropractor. A 2m distance will maintained during the consultation whilst close proximity is not required.  The chiropractor will wear a medical face mask (either IIR or FFP2), a clean apron and gloves during the consultation. The type of mask worn is at the chiropractor’s discretion, but if you would prefer your chiropractor to wear the higher protection FFP2 (Filtering Facepiece) please ask and they will be happy to do so.

Patients are asked to wear a face covering. Due to the sustained close contact that we have with our patients, and the number of vulnerable people that pass through the Clinic, we consider that this remains a necessary precaution whilst infection levels remain high in the local community. It remains a Public Health England requirement to wear a mask for medical appointments, and we will review our policy when this guidance changes.

We are fortunate to have plenty of windows in the Clinic, and we make full use of these to achieve optimum ventilation throughout the building.

Air purifiers constantly filter the air in consulting rooms and pass it through a UV-C light to kill viruses and bacteria. This device filters the air in the room approximately 4 times per hour, and claims to remove 99.9% of virus from the air.

Contact surfaces in the treatment rooms are sanitised with anti-viral cleaning agents between each patient. During this deep cleaning process, the windows are opened wide to ensure a complete air exchange before the next person comes in. Our Reception Team have become cleaning superheroes!

At the end of your treatment:

There is a “One-Way System” in place. We will continue to manage the flow of patients through the Clinic to reduce contact with anyone else when you attend, and to avoid any gathering of people in confined spaces.  The chiropractor will book your next appointment if required, and direct you to an alternative exit. Be careful to look out for cars as you leave the pathway behind the Clinic to join the driveway. Please leave promptly so that the Receptionist has time for their sanitising routine between patients.

All of the Team at Haslemere Chiropractic Clinic are extremely grateful for the support and understanding of our clients during this difficult time. Please be assured that the safety of our Patients and our Team are our priority. We are delighted to be able to offer our services to everyone, and look forward to welcoming you soon!