Chelmsford Clinic Re-Opening

According to guidelines from Gov.UK, the General Osteopathic Council and Institute of Osteopathy, osteopaths are now able to offer face to face appointments for routine/maintenance care as well as emergency treatments.

In order to reduce the risk of Covid-19, a thorough risk assessment has been carried out and Oaklea Osteopathy is open at a reduced capacity with strict measures in place to keep patients and practitioner as safe as possible. During lockdown I have been preparing to re-open by making some changes to the clinic and completing the following training on Covid-19 and Infection Prevention Control:

We know that Covid-19 is spread from symptomatic people, but also from those who are asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic via respiratory droplets, contact points or aerosol generation. Although I will be taking measures to make your visit as safe as possible, it is important that you consider carefully whether a face to face appointment is appropriate for you at this time and whether there may be implications for you or others in your household who may be in the extremely vulnerable or vulnerable categories.

You must NOT attend:

• If you have developed possible symptoms of Covid-19 within the previous 10 days, are asymptomatic but have had a positive test result or are awaiting a test result. Also, if you have received a diagnosis more than 10 days ago but your temperature is still 37.8 degrees Celsius or above and/or you still have symptoms you must not attend.
• If you live with or have been in contact with anyone with symptoms or a positive test result within the last 14 days or have been advised by NHS Test & Trace to isolate, you must not attend.

This clinic also asks you NOT to attend if you have returned to the UK from ANY overseas destination within 14 days of your appointment.

If during your appointment you appear to have symptoms, however mild, the appointment will end immediately.

The main symptoms of Covid-19 are:

• A high temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius or above, or in the absence of having a thermometer you will feel hot to touch on your chest or back.
• A new, continuous cough – coughing for more than an hour, 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours or a worsening of your usual cough.
• A loss or change from normal to your sense of taste or smell.

Other symptoms have been reported including fatigue, muscle aches & pains, headache and diarrhoea and if you are in any doubt please check on the NHS 111 Online Symptom Checker

PLEASE READ – Key Changes Before, During and After Your Appointment:

Before Your Appointment

• I will telephone you the day or morning before your appointment. This will be a 10-15 minute consultation to screen for symptoms of Covid-19 or contact with anyone who has had a positive diagnosis and to explain the new clinic procedures. In addition, the update you used to provide me with at the start of an appointment regarding your symptoms and notice of any health changes will be discussed during the screening call instead. If I am unable to contact you for this assessment, your face to face appointment will have to be cancelled.
• Please use the lavatory at home before you leave as the facilities will be unavailable at the clinic.
• Please leave extra coats, jackets, bags, jewellery & watches at home or securely in the car – these items pose an additional infection control risk. Please only bring the essentials eg, keys and payment card.
• For your safety there will no longer be a towelling cover on the treatment couch and pillows will be waterproof and wipe clean. You may wish to wear comfortable clothes that you can wear on the couch after examination, or bring a clean towel to lay on or to cover you if you prefer.
• Please change into freshly laundered clothes for your appointment. Please do not come to the clinic direct from work, shopping, sports clubs, restaurants etc or any other appointments eg, GP or dentist.

During Your Appointment

• Appointment times have always been 30 minutes for a returning patient within 2 years (or 1 hour for a new patient). These face to face appointment times will now be strictly adhered to in order to allow time for aerating the room and cleaning surfaces thoroughly between appointments. Of course, the telephone consultation prior to your appointment is in addition to this.
• Please attend your appointment by yourself as I will be unable to accommodate friends or family members in attendance at this time (under 16’s can bring one parent or guardian). If someone drops you off for your appointment, please ensure they return to collect you within 30 minutes as there will be nowhere for you to wait inside the clinic after your appointment.
• Please do not arrive early for your appointment – a longer gap will be allowed between treatments to allow for aerating the treatment room and cleaning contact points, surfaces and equipment. When you arrive, please wait in your car until I ask you to enter.
• I will be wearing a disposable face mask, apron and gloves to treat you and may also wear a face shield or safety goggles. PPE will be changed between patients and strict PHE hand hygiene will be practiced.
• On arrival, I will take your temperature with a contactless infra-red thermometer. If your temperature is 37.8 degrees Celsius or above your will need to leave and the appointment will not proceed.
• Hand sanitiser and a surgical FRSM IIR mask will be provided for you at the entrance – please sanitise up to your wrists thoroughly for 20-30 seconds and take time to correctly apply the mask. I would ask that you use the mask provided even if you have one of your own. There will be no charge for this.
• Whilst in the clinic I will open and close all doors for you to reduce contact point cross contamination.
• On entering the clinic rooms, please go straight through to the second room with the chairs, take a seat on the chair by the small table and place your keys/purse/wallet etc in the bowl on the table.
• All soft furnishings and fabric furniture have been removed from the clinic and replaced with washable furniture and coverings. As the treatment couch no longer has a towelling cover, you are welcome to wear loose fitting clothes that you can keep on after examination if you wish, or bring a clean towel to lay on or cover you for your comfort. The couch will still be covered in single use couch roll.
• Some treatment techniques may need to be modified to reduce risk of aerosol generation.
• Payment will be via contactless payment where possible and strictly by debit card or bank transfer – no cash or cheques will be accepted.

After Your Appointment

• If we agree that you need a follow up appointment, I will telephone you later the same day to book your next appointment rather than re book during your appointment. If you have any questions that we didn’t cover during your visit, please feel free to ask me then.
• Please keep your mask on as you leave the clinic and dispose of it at home. You will also be able to sanitise your hands before you leave.
• Cleaning will take place between appointments of all contact areas eg, door handles, card machine, couch, pillows, equipment, floors and chairs. Deep cleaning will take place at the end of every day.
• For your own safety, I advise you change your clothes when you get home and launder them at your convenience. Obviously wash your hands thoroughly.
• Please let me know if you develop symptoms of Covid-19 within the 3 days following your appointment.

These are challenging times for us all. I will be doing my very best to make things as Covid secure as possible for us all. I understand this may all seem quite formal, but rest assured behind the PPE I am the same osteopath and I look forward to welcoming you back to the clinic.

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