Sawbridgeworth Osteopathic Clinic 25th June 2020 Covid-19 Coronavirus Update With the effects of the pandemic receding, we have taken the decision that it is possible to resume face to face consultations with effect from Monday 6th July. To ensure the safety of ourselves and the public we are applying the necessary protocols to minimise the risk of virus spread. What we expect of you. As before, we request that you cancel any appointment if you or anyone in your household: • develop a fever over 37.8 C • develop a new persistent cough • experience a loss of sense of smell or taste We also require anyone attending for treatment to wear a face covering.  We suggest wearing lightweight clothing, to minimise the need for undressing, and light shoes or trainers which we suggest you keep wearing through the consultation. Handwashing facilities are available for before and after treatment. We request that all payments are made using a contactless credit or debit card, to avoid the handling of cash. Our terminal can accept a contactless payment of £45. Please aim to arrive for your appointment no more than five minutes early. Late arrivals may be denied treatment due to the need to maintain an adequate gap between appointments. What we will be doing. To avoid unnecessary contact between patients, we will be applying a 30 minute interval between appointments. This will allow our premises to be vacated and cleaned before the next patient arrives. We have removed as much soft furnishing as possible- such as couch covers, pillow cases, waiting room chairs etc. We will use disposable couch paper and pillow coverings for each appointment. The practice is carpeted and will be cleaned after each morning or afternoon session, but we recommend the wearing of light shoes throughout the session. Between appointments, all hard surfaces such as the couch, desk, door handles, washroom fittings etc will be sanitised according to PHE advice, and all used PPE and cleaning material will be bagged for appropriate disposal. Practitioners will wear the recommended PPE- surgical mask per session and  apron and gloves which will be changed after each patient. This will be reviewed according to advice from Public Health England. On your arrival we will ask some screening questions about your current state of health, and performing some health checks such as taking your temperatue or checking your sense of smell.  You will be asked to wash or sanitise your hands. The initial interview about your condition, or progress, and the observation element of your examination will be conducted within the current social distancing guidelines. Treatment will be carried out according to necessity, and will be discussed prior to commencing. Rebooking and providing payment will be carried out at an appropriate safe distance. If you develop any symptoms of Covid-19 during the seven days following your treatment, please follow the official advice to notify and book a Covid-19 test. Also, please notify us of your status. Should your test prove positive, the Track and Trace team will request details of any close contact, but this will not include medical professionals such as osteoapths who have been wearing PPE through the consultation. If we comply with this guidance, we trust we will minimise the risk of transmission of the virus, though we must emphasise that a small element of risk will remain.