Following on from the announcement of a national lockdown starting on January 5th, I am pleased to report that health clinics are exempt from closure and patients are legally allowed to leave their homes for medical appointments. As such we will be open as normal at this time.
At the heart of our values here at Element Healthcare is to always create a professional, welcoming, space for you to come and receive treatments. This has absolutely not changed but there will be a few changes that require your attention prior to coming in for treatments.
Measures to make the clinic ‘Covid-19 secure’
1. Patient Screening
Each patient is required to fill in a screening form before treatment to confirm they are displaying no symptoms. Whilst this is not a fail-safe it helps to prevent symptomatic patients attending clinic. If you start to have any symptoms please do not attend your appointment.
2. Treatment Spacing
I will be spacing treatments out, allowing at least 15 minutes between patients, to ensure you don’t encounter anyone on arrival and to allow for sanitisation of rooms bewteen treatments.
3. Soft Furnishings
All furnishings in clinic are now wipeable to ensure all items /surfaces can be disinfected between treatments. This means that for the time being, patients are encouraged to bring in a bagged blanket or towel for their comfort during treatment.
4. Soap + Disinfectant
On entering and exiting the clinic and room there is sanitiser to keep hands clean. As has always been the case, I wash my hands prior to any physical contact and again immediately after.
5. Masks, for you and I
I will be wearing a mask on arrival and I have also spaced chairs in treatment rooms 2m apart. I ask that you bring your own mask but I will have spares should you require to purchase one on the day.
6. Opening Doors
Please allow me to open all doors for you on arrival and exit. Rest assured that all door handles are disinfected after each patient anyway.
What you can expect when you come in for treatment?
Pre-treatment screening
You will be asked to fill in a brief screening and consent form each time you come in for treatment. This checks that patients aren’t symptomatic and also acknowledges that there is a slight elevated risk by having close proximity during acupuncture treatment. Any high risk group patients will be advised against coming into clinic at this time.
DO NOT ATTEND YOUR APPOINTMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OF A COLD or FLU.
Before your appontment
The waiting room is closed at this time, so please wait in your car or just outside the clinic at your appointment time and I will come and lead you directly into the clinic.
On entry to the clinic
- Please wear a face mask – this has been advised to stop the spread of coronavirus from asymptomatic patients.
- Please sanitise your hands when entering the clinic and avoid touching surfaces as much as possible.
- Observe social distancing if encountering others in the clinic.
- Please observe appropriate cough hygiene (into a tissue or crook of the arm).
In the treatment room
- I will be placing chairs further apart than normal to enable social distancing, however I will briefly feel pulse and use goggles and mask when looking at tongues for diagnositic purposes.
- You will be asked to keep your mask on during treatment
- The treatment table, bolsters and wipable pillows will be sanitised between patients. Couch roll will be covering the table.
- Please bring your own towel or blanket to keep you warm during treatment.
Payments
Contactless is preferred but the card machine is also sanitised between patients.
Drinking
Please bring in your own water bottle as the water facilities in the clinic have been removed at this time.
Phones
We love our phones but I ask that you please don’t touch your phone after entering the clinic as they are an easy way to re-infect your hands after you have sanitised them.
New patients can download the intake form here, for filling in before an appointment. This can be done electronically, saved and emailed back to martin@elementhealthcare.co.uk
