28/06/2020
Dear patients
We hope this message finds you and your family in good health.
Our first appointments are priority treatments as instructed by the government and attendance at the dental practice is by invitation only following a telephone conversation with one of our dentists. We might not be able to provide all care from the start as current guidelines encourage limiting face to face contact.
Dental emergencies are being triaged and appropriate priority dental treatment provided.
Non-urgent dental care is not a priority at the moment and we kindly ask all patients to bear with us – the protection and safety of our patients, our staff and all your families is very important to us.
Current government guidance is changing and constantly being updated, hopefully we will be looking forward to welcoming you all back as soon as we can.
We just wanted to be clear that this may not be business as usual. The treatments you are offered may be different to those you received before, depending on staff and equipment available. 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’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to 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 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’ll be asked those same questions again at your appointment
• Your temperature will be taken using a non-contactless device when you enter the dental practice and again in surgery. If you show signs of an elevated temperature you will be asked to leave and isolate as per government guidelines. Your appointment will be rearranged.
• We have hand sanitiser that we will ask you to use when you enter the practice. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the practice for you to use as needed.
• 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 might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling 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:
• YOU WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE DENTAL PRACTICE IF YOU HAVE A DENTAL APPOINTMENT – FOR ALL ENQUIRIES PLEASE RING THE DENTAL PRACTICE ON 01274 720980 DURING OUR OPENING HOURS
• 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 where possible
• Staff will not shake your hand
• If you show symptoms following appointment booking, you should contact the practice by phone
• Please do not arrive early to the practice. If necessary, you should wait outside the practice
• Please do not arrive without an appointment
• Patients should come wearing a mask if possible.
Sincerely,
Dentists and Team at Olney Dental Care
