COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

OUR SURGERY IS FULLY OPERATIONAL

We hope that all our patients have kept in good health since the Covid pandemic.

We are delighted to report that we are able to offer face-to-face consultations and treatments with our patients.

Our priority will always be to protect you.

Business as usual?

We have always aimed to provide our patients with the very best care and in a manner that makes them feel as comfortable as possible. We pride ourselves on the cleanliness of the surgery and dedicate ourselves tirelessly to stringent cross-infection control measures. Our commitment to patient safety has always been and will remain our greatest priority.

We have used the guidance issued by the Fellowship of General Dental Practitioners on 1^st June 2020 to put in place protocols to protect patients and staff and continue to review these protocols as new information and guidance becomes available.

When we organise a face-to-face consultation, we need to establish the following…

• Are there any changes in your medical history (conditions, medications, vaccination status etc)?
• Are you feeling unwell in any way?
• Do you believe you may have Covid?

If you are attending for routine care or treatment…

• There is no mandatory requirement for you to wear a mask, but we would encourage you to consider other patients attending our surgery who may have other complex health issues
• You are welcome to enter the building and use our waiting room, but if you prefer to wait in your car or outside then we will check for you in the car park at the time of your appointment. Please do not wait outside if it may put your health or personal safety at risk

If you are a patient who is immunocompromised and/or are concerned about mixing with others (who are not wearing masks) then please let us know when making your appointments so that we can arrange the surgery and/or your appointment time to ensure you do not come into contact with other members of the public. To discuss your needs you can also contact our Surgery Manager, Mrs Eve Cockrell on…

• 01747 898 303 or
• reception@ivycrossdental.com

What if I have Covid but need emergency care?

We will be structuring the surgery and appointment so that you will not come into physical contact with any individual other than the doctor and nurse. For this reason, it is essential that you arrive a few minutes in advance of your appointment.

On arriving at the surgery, we need you to…

• Remain in your car, we will be looking out for you and tell you when it is safe for you to enter the building
• Enter the surgery on your own. There are some exceptions to this, but it is essential that you discuss this with us when we begin arranging a consultation

On entering the Surgery…

• You will be taken straight through to the treatment room
• If treatment is conducted on a tooth, then an additional special shield (termed a ‘Rubber Dam’) may also be used
• The staff will be wearing enhanced Personal Protective Equipment, including face shields, so please do not worry

Eve and the staff have all worked very hard in the past to ensure that the Surgery has been a warm, homely, and welcoming environment.

The new measures above will necessitate the removal of any items that increase the risk of fomite transmission or complicate the thorough decontamination of all rooms following a patient consultation. The reception area will look empty.

As a friendly surgery we struggle with having to cover our smiles with multiple layers of personal protective equipment and feel uncomfortable about not being able to offer a welcoming handshake, but it is because we do care about our patients and staff that we are taking these steps.

With my kindest regards

Doctor Geoffrey Cockrell BDS (Guy’s) MB ChB (Bris)

Medical Doctor 7041954

Dental Surgeon 81106