Patient Safety – Your Experience

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we will be taking further steps to protect you and our staff whilst you attend the practice. Things have changed since you were last here and we have to be more stringent with appointments, timings and PPE. For your own safety as well as our own we will be requiring you to help us by doing the following before your appointment and upon arrival of an appointment.

Before your appointment

• Please use the toilet and wash your hands before attending the practice, please ensure you have brushed your teeth prior to arriving at the practice you will be unable to use the practice facilities.
• Filled out any forms required or sent to you and returned to the practice via email, if you are unable to do this please bring your own pen (if you need to sign paper forms)
• bring minimal belongings into the practice with them
• you should attend the practice alone wherever possible or with one other person if absolutely necessary
• More vulnerable patients should wear a simple face covering when they attend
• If the patient requires a chaperone, they should be advised of the practice policy on chaperones.
• If you start having symptoms of COVID-19 before your appointment, please do not attend and contact the practice as soon as possible. Symptoms include high temperature > 37.5 degrees, persistent cough for longer than 1 hour or a series of coughing fits more than 3 times a day or breathing difficulties

Attending your appointment:

• You can only enter the building when summoned by the staff at the agreed time
• You will be met by a team member wearing appropriate PPE who will check your medical history
• You will be screened using the standard COVID-19 screening questions and if now in Category 1 will be referred to an appropriate centre (if it is an emergency) or advised to self-isolate. Symptoms include high temperature > 37.5 degrees, persistent cough for longer than 1 hour or a series of coughing fits more than 3 times a day or breathing difficulties
• Your temperature will be taken using a contactless head thermometer. You must use the hand sanitizer and will be asked to put on disposable booties and hat, we may even ask you to put on mask and gloves when entering the building from the PPE station inside the front door
• If not using pre-payment/online payment, then payment will be taken in advance of the dental appointment.
• If not using emailed digital forms you should use your own pen to sign paper forms.
• If necessary, you may be reminded to comply with the social distancing markers at reception etc.
• You will be escorted directly into the surgery
• Any belongings will be placed in a designated area which will be disinfected after use.
• Once entering the surgery, you will be asked to retain any PPE we have supplied to you until the end of the appointment
• At the end of treatment, you will be escorted from the surgery immediately, and dispose of PPE in a clinical waste bin and perform hand sanitation using alcohol gel placed outside the door
• You will collect your belongings from the designated area, and then escorted to the practice exit.