COVID19 Update

COVID19 Patient Journey

Updated 16/12/2020

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.Our community has been through a lot this year and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing remains the same: our commitment to your safety.

Before your visit:

All patients will be contacted via phone or email prior to their appointment and screened for any symptoms of Coronavirus.We are doing everything we can to interrupt the chain of virus transmission during this pandemic. Using pen and paper is just one potential transmission route- electronic signatures eliminate the risk and are also kinder to the environment.Therefore, you will receive an email from us requesting you complete the usual paperwork such as your medical history, remotely rather than at the practice. Please let us know if your email has changed so we may update our records for you.

On the day

Ensure you have been to the toilet, are well hydrated and have brushed your teeth before leaving home- the WC at the practice will be closed (emergencies excepted) in order to reduce risk of virus transmission routes.Please try to bring as few belongings with you as possible, we will ask you to place your things in a plastic tub until the end of your visit.Where possible please attend alone unless in the case of a carer or parent of a young child.When you arrive for your appointment please remain outside the practice door and telephone 01784 454 899 to let us know you are here. If you have arrived by car, please remain in your vehicle until we are ready to see you.

In line with government guidance, we are asking that you attend the practice with a face covering/mask.

Entering the practice

We will call you when it is time for your appointment and we will take your temperature at the door. If you do not have a mask we will provide you with one and ask you to sanitise your handsOur reception team will be behind a plastic screen for added protection.Please observe the distance markers on the floor to ensure safe distancing. Our practice will be clutter free with no magazines and we have removed some waiting room chairs.We will ask for payments to be made by card where possible.

The treatment rooms

You will see our special Air Purifiers in each room- these are bacteria AND virus busting air filtration units, to ensure you are treated in a safe and clean environment.All treatment rooms are cleaned and disinfected between patients. Our team will escort you to the treatment room and will be wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).You will be asked to leave your coat and bag in the box provided, this will be sanitised after you leave.

Infection Control

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.All our team are wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as full face respirators and gowns where indicated.We are allowing adequate time between appointments to allow the air purification system to disinfect the air.

Dental Emergencies

Please do not visit the practice without an appointment. Should you need to, please contact the practice by phone or email.If you have a dental emergency please contact the practice on 01784 454 899. We will do our utmost to see you on the same day.

We are safe, open and here for our patients

Updated 03/11/2020

To our loyal patients,We are writing to reassure you that in line with the latest Government rules, our dental practice will remain open during the second

national lockdown for routine and emergency dental care.We would like to thank all of those patients who have been to see us during this pandemic and to say how grateful we are for the many messages of support our team has received praising our hard work in ensuring our patients are as safe as possible in our care.As well as the usual stringent safety measures that we have always had in place, you can rest assured that our dental practice is also Covid-safe. So, please don’t put off coming to see us for your essential routine dental health and hygiene examinations. If you already have an appointment booked, it will go ahead as normal.If you have a dental emergency, it is vital that you get in touch with us in the usual way. Please call us on 01784 455 899 or email reception@thorpeleadental.com and we will do our utmost to see you on the same day.Our extra safety measures include:• Covid-19 pre-screening before your appointment• Covid-19 temperature checks for staff and patients on arrival• Reduced number of patients in waiting areas• Strict hand hygiene for all staff and patients• High level PPE for our staff• Additional cleaning and disinfecting between every patient appointment• Ventilation and air purifiers in surgery and waiting areasPlease contact us if you have any concerns. We look forward to seeing you soon.