We are Open from 8th June 2020 – Covid19 Patient Safety Guide
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Dear Patient:
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health.
You may have heard that dental practices can open to routine care from Monday 8 June.
Our practice will be opening on Monday 8 June but we just wanted to be clear that this may not be business as usual. The treatments you are offered may be different to those you received before.depending on staff and equipment available. It will take some time before services return to what you previously experienced as normal. Please be patient
Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our surgery.
Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe. Our practice follows infection control guidelines made by the governing bodies. We are up-to-date on new guidance that has been issued. We do this to make sure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to recommendations. You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.
For example:
- Our practice will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again at your appointment
- We have hand sanitiser that we will ask you to use when you enter the practice. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the practice for you to use as needed.
- We no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer
1. DENTAL PRACTICE RECEPTION DESK SAFETY
Our Reception will be fitted with a safety-screen and only one member of our staff will be in reception at any one time.
2. PRACTICE WAITING AREA
Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines or hand-outs as these items are difficult to disinfect. If you require a water cup please ask our receptionist.
3. COVID-19 SAFETY SIGNS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
We have introduced floor signs to ensure 2-meter social distancing except when you are in the treatment room.
4. STAGGERED DENTAL APPOINTMENTS
We will be staggering dental appointments in order to minimise traffic at the reception area. We will allow only one patient at a time and allow adequate time for each appointment.
5. PATIENT SCREENING
Our staff will communicate with you before your appointment and visit to ask you some screening questions. You will be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. We may also ask you to fill-in a medical history form prior to attending if you are a new patient. We will advise on this.
Download Patient Screening & Medical History Forms>
6. HAND SANITISERS
We will ask you to use a hand sanitiser when you enter the office. We will have hand-gels available.
7. SHOE COVERS
You will be asked to wear shoe covers upon entering the waiting room. You can safely dispose of these upon leaving. Hand sanitisers, again will be made available.
8. CHECKING YOUR TEMPERATURE
The nurse or other member of staff will check your temperature. Any patients with a high temperature may be refused treatment.
9. UNACCOMPANIED APPOINTMENTS
All patients should attend appointments alone unless they are under 16 years of age or have a disability.
10. STAFF PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
Our staff will be wearing PPE which will vary according to the treatment involved but can include respirators, visors, face-masks and fluid-repellent gowns. This provides maximum protection against cross-infection for you as well as our staff.
11. AIR PURIFIERS
We have installed the latest air purifiers/sanitisers for each aerosol-generating areas.
12. SUPERIOR DENTAL INSTRUMENT SUCTIONS
For some dental procedures, we will use more powerful intra-oral suction devices to reduce the release of aerosol as much as possible.
13. CLEANING AND DISINFECTION OF THE PRACTICE
In addition to our already thorough infection prevention control measures, we have introduced extra precautions throughout the day to ensure that all surfaces are regularly cleaned and disinfected, especially after each patient is seen.
14. CONTACTLESS TREATMENT PAYMENTS
We encourage you to pay by Phone, or contactless-card payments to minimise the use of the credit card machine keypad.
