04/06/2020
IMPORTANT PATIENT UPDATE
COVID19 04/06/2020
Dear Patient,
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health.
You may have heard that dental practices can open to provide routine care from Monday 8th June, unfortunately, this is not the case. Our practice will be opening on that day, however, we wanted to be clear that this will not be business as usual.
At this time, on the advice of NHS England, we are very limited in the care that we can provide. We will have to prioritise vulnerable patients and those with very high, urgent need. If you believe that you fall in this category, then you should call the practice or email us. 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 is both safe and comfortable. We want to reassure you that the procedures we follow in our practice 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 have 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 will 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
• 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 may mean that you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment
• Our toilet is not in service and may not be used
• You may be chaperoned during your time at the practice
• There will be 2m distancing markers at reception, please stick to these at all times
• Social distancing will also apply elsewhere in the practice, including the waiting room, which means you may be unable to use this area prior to your appointment
We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
How you can help:
• Please use toilet facilities before arrival at the practice
• With the exception of children and patients with carers, patients should come alone
• A distance of at least 2 metres must be observed if another patient is present in the dental practice
• Payment should be made by card
• Staff will not shake your hand
• If you show symptoms following appointment booking, you should contact the practice by phone to reschedule your appointment
• Please do not arrive early to the practice. If necessary, you should wait outside the practice
• Please do not arrive without an appointment. You should call or email if you wish to schedule an appointment or for any other matter
• Please avoid bringing personal belongings including bags and coats. If you do bring them they will have to remain in a plastic box at the practice entrance. We cannot guarantee the safety of your belongings.
We have greatly missed having the opportunity to provide care for all our existing patients. We look forward to welcoming you back to the practice and a gradual return to normality. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Yours Sincerely,
The Infinity Dental Care team
