WHAT TO EXPECT

Health Screening

Before an appointment is made, I will call you to obtain some information from you, this is to establish whether you fall into any of the two categories outlined by the Government as clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable as I may not be able to treat you. See below.

Then I can make an appointment for you and email a health screen form for your completion and return prior to treatment. The clinic will call you 24 hours before appointment to screen you again and take payment over the phone.

Arrival

Please wait in your car or outside the clinic, you can call to let clinic know you have arrived but will not be able to invite you in until your time of appointment as we have closed our waiting area. (Please leave bags, coats etc in your car if possible)

Your temperature will be taken as a precaution and then you will be asked to wash your hands in the lobby before entering the clinic.

Please wear a face mask, if you do not have a face mask, I can provide you with one.

During Treatment

I will be wearing a face mask and apron.

Towels and blankets are no longer available but feel free to bring one if you wish.

After Treatment

A gap of 15 minutes is given between each patient to clean down and air the room. At the end of the day the room is deep cleaned ready for the next day.

Screening

Please take a look at the questions below which will be on the form I email to you and the categories outlined as extremely clinically vulnerable and clinically vulnerable.

Should you fall into one of these categories please get in touch to discuss further.

1. Have you had a fever in the last 7 days? (feeling hot to touch on your chest and back)

2. Do you now, or have you recently had, a persistent dry cough? (coughing a lot for more than an hour, 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours or worsening of a pre-existing cough)

3. Have you lost sensations of taste and smell?

4. Have you been in contact with anyone in the last 14 days who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 or has coronavirus-type symptoms?

5. Have you been told to stay home, self-isolate or self-quarantine?

6. Do you or anyone that you live with fall into the ‘clinically vulnerable’ or ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ categories as defined below

Clinically vulnerable people

People in this category of risk include:

1. Anyone aged 70 and older (regardless of medical conditions)

2. Anyone under 70 with an underlying health condition (that is, anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds) – such as:

  • chronic (long-term) mild to moderate respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
  • chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
  • chronic kidney disease
  • chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
  • chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
  • diabetes
  • a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines (such as steroid tablets)
  • being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
  • pregnant women

Clinically extremely vulnerable people

People in this category of risk include:

1. Solid organ transplant recipients

2. People with specific cancers:

  • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
  • people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
  • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
  • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
  • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
  • people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

4. People with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell).

5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

7. Other people have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decisions.