Covid-19 Policy

With the heightened awareness, anxiety and risk of contact and droplet spread between members of the public and practitioner(me)/patient contact here are the procedures that have been put in place, in order to keep my patients safe.

Before your Appointment

  • Appointments can be made by phone or email.
  • You will receive an email with instructions.
  • If you are feeling unwell, or have any symptoms of COVID-19, please do not attend your appointment.  I will  be happy to reschedule or do a phone/video consultation instead.
  • Patients will have a triage call, and will be asked whether they have symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who has, and if they live with anyone who may be vulnerable. A clinical decision will be made whether they are to have a physical appointment or a remote consultation.
  •  When you arrive for your appointment please wait in your car and I will send you a text to inform you that I am ready for you. If not arriving by car, please wait outside until asked to enter by your practitioner.

Patients will have a triage call, and will be asked whether they have symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who has, and if they live with anyone who may be vulnerable. A clinical decision will be made whether they are to have a physical appointment or a remote consultation.

Enhance Infection Control

  1. Clinic linen will no longer be used, including couch covers and towels.  Patients will be asked to bring their own linen to keep themselves warm and/or one comfortable layer of clothing to wear during treatment.
  2. Traditional pillow covers have been replaced with wipe-able plastic pillow covers so that they can be cleaned in between patients.
  3. Areas that are more difficult to clean have been covered in plastic to facilitate the cleaning process.
  4. Adequate time after each patient appointment will be given in order to ventilate the room and for clinic equipment to be sanitised.
  5. Upon arrival you will be asked to wash your hands. Hand sanitiser gel will be made available for your use.
  6. Please remember to use the bathroom before leaving for your appointment as places like the bathroom are notoriously difficult for people to navigate without leaving/picking up bacteria and viruses. In extreme cases the bathroom may be made available but it’s best if you use the facilities at your home.
  7. Patient arrival and departure will be staggered so that social distancing rule is observed in the clinic. I ask that you do not bring a guest with you.
  8.  When you arrive for your appointment please wait in your car and I will send you a text to inform you that I am ready for you.

Personal Protective Measures

  1. I will be wearing a medical grade face mask, gloves, apron and where appropriate a visor.
  2. You must wear a clean face mask to your appointment. In the case that you don’t have a face mask, one will be made available to you at a cost of £1.00.
  3. Patients will be asked not to attend appointments if there is any suspicion of viral infection.  They will be asked to cancel their appointment as soon as possible.  There will be no cancellation fees for short notice cancellations.
  4. I will not come to work if there is a suspicion of being infected with the virus or knowingly had contact with anyone within my social distancing circle  who has symptoms.
  5. I am trying to reduce paper passed between myself and patients, I will use electronic communication for form filling, appointment notifications, receipts, etc.

Options for Patients who are still shielding and do not want a face-to-face appointment.

During the lockdown period I introduced Tele-osteopathy appointments via video calls and I will continue providing this service for patients who are shielding or prefer not to attend the clinic for treatment. This has been used during lockdown for some very painful acute cases and have proved to be very effective.  Tele-osteopathy appointments are  £30 for a new patient  (45 minute appointment) and £20 for a follow-up patient (30 min appointment). This would be conducted using the platforms Skype, Zoom or Whatsapps.

First of all, you will have a 15-minute phone triage to make sure your condition is within the scope of a tele-osteopathy appointment. If your condition is out of scope, I will refer you to the appropriate services.

Covid Vaccination

  • As with traditional vaccinations, it is a contraindication to have a treatment until 14 days have passed to allow for any reaction that may occur. This is for your safety and the clinic’s protection against any claim that treatment has played any part in a reaction (in particular soft tissue manipulation).  This also applies to the Covid vaccination.
  • The practitioners as well as some patients attending this practice might not be vaccinated due to ineligibility, medical contraindications/ exemptions or personal preference.
  • To keep everyone safe, strict infection prevention control measures are in place and the practitioner will be wearing the appropriate level of PPE.
  • LFD (Lateral Flow) testing is also carried out by the practitioner on regular intervals. If you have any concerns, please me know.