30th May 2020
Dentistry Take Two!
Dear patients of Roseacre Dental Practice,
We hope you and your loved ones have been keeping safe and well during these uncertain times. As you may be aware, in compliance with government directives, dental practices were temporarily closed and all dentistry treatment was ceased.
We are delighted to announce that the guidance has changed as of 28th May 2020, to say that Dental Practices can reopen for the continuation of routine care from Monday 8th June 2020.
During the 10 weeks of closure, Matthew and Lyndsey have worked 7 days a week and are pleased to have been able to help almost 200 of our patients that have telephoned with urgent dental problems. They were also able to assist many of the wider community who have been referred to us by the NHS 111 service.
Our priority in the first weeks of opening will be the relief of pain for our patients.
We will want to help all those who have been waiting with urgent dental problems
We will then want to resume routine care for everyone as soon as we are able, and we please ask for your patience as we work first to help those in need.
What will Dentistry post-lockdown look like?
Your safety and confidence are paramount, and so we have been working tirelessly during the lockdown to keep up-to-date with all guidance and measures relating to COVID-19. We have put several extensive safety measures in place, over and beyond recent guidelines, to ensure an even safer environment for you, our team, and the wider community.
1. Screening before appointments
Before your appointment, you will be asked to complete a screening questionnaire for COVID -19, which will then be verbally checked on the day of your appointment. Medical history forms and treatment plans will also be sent electronically where possible.
2. Restricted Access by Appointment Only
To maintain social distancing, we aim to control the number of people entering and leaving the practice. Please do not attend the practice unless you have an appointment. Please try to arrive only a short period before your appointment and attend alone if possible.
We request you to wait in your car and message us on 07928 621498 to let us know that you have arrived.
For those travelling on foot or by taxi, you will need to wait outside until we can safely bring you into the practice, so please don’t arrive too early! If the weather is poor we will operate socially distanced areas within our waiting room.
3. Temperature checks
Before entering the practice, we will use a non-contact thermometer to record your temperature. If it exceeds 37.8°C, we would be unable to admit you and would advise self-isolation in keeping with government guidance.
4. Hand Washing
Upon entry, we request all patients wash their hands thoroughly and a member of staff will direct you straight to your clinician’s surgery.
4. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) upgrades
You’ll likely notice an increased level of PPE our clinicians and nursing staff are using as recommended by recent evidence, but don’t be alarmed as this is purely a protective measure, and it’s still us behind the masks!
An important note on the supply chain for PPE:
As a Dental Practice, we source our PPE, it does not come from the Government Stockpile. We’ve been ahead of the game and have been able to secure enough of the higher level of PPE to allow us to reopen and operate for some time. However, there have been some major disruptions to the national supply chain, and there may be further delays. In this case, the services we can offer will need to be limited.
5. Perspex safety screens
At Reception, we have installed safety screens, but we’ll still be as friendly as always behind them
6. Remote booking & payment
For those patients who have been waiting with dental urgencies, we will be in touch over the coming week to arrange appointments – there is no need for you to call.
For those patients that have had their appointments cancelled during the period of closure, we will want to reschedule your visit as soon as we are able – please be patient, we will contact you as soon as we can – there is no need for you to call.
We ask that all payments are made in advance over the phone where possible, to limit the number of people in the Reception Area. We’ll also contact you remotely to arrange any future visits.
7. Additional measures
We pride ourselves on our already meticulous level of infection control, and we will be going even further with regular cleaning with anti-viral surface wipes around the non-clinical areas the practice and additional disinfection measures in surgeries. The amount of seating in the waiting room area has been reduced to encourage social distancing and distance waiting areas marked out to remain social distancing.
We will continue to develop our strategy to improve safety for all. As such, please check the website for relevant updates. Guidelines are constantly changing, and we are adapting on an almost daily basis.
We cannot thank you all enough for your ongoing understanding and support during this difficult time.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us for your dental needs. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
The Roseacre Dental Team xxx