COVID INFORMATION
We hope all of our patients have kept themselves safe and well during this unprecedented time during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Never have our health, family and friends been more important.
As many of you already know, we never closed during the Pandemic. Thanks to rigorous planning, policy implementation, resourceful sourcing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and dedication from our fantastic team we were able to continue providing an emergency service throughout the lockdown 7 days a week.
This meant we were one of the only private practices working and providing necessary safe emergency care for those most in need during this difficult time. We have spoken to thousands of patients over the last two months and helped get them out of pain and we are enormously grateful for the patience and cooperation from everyone.
Whilst our practice has always had very strict cross infection control and disinfection policies, as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic we have taken even more radical steps to ensure our staff, dentists and patients are kept safe. We have been fortunate to have sourced the very best personal PPE, including full and half face respirators, gowns and gloves. We conduct two deep cleans of the entire practice everyday, on top of our already meticulous cleaning protocols.
Having continued to work throughout the pandemic has meant all of our staff and team are already thoroughly trained and prepared to work in these new conditions and patients can rest assured that we are doing everything possible to reduce any risks.
In this document we will outline some of the changes we have made which you will notice are different to what you are probably used to in a dental practice! We do not know if these changes will be permanent or temporary but we will keep patients informed every step of the way.
What will never change at The Hub Dental Practice is our passion for providing safe, convenient and affordable dental care for patients. We work tirelessly to provide this care 365 days a year (yes, even Christmas day!) and we answer our phone 24/7 which means you will never be left without our support. We make ourselves available day and night to help you.
Our protective gear may make us look strange or a bit unfriendly, but we are still the same passionate and friendly team underneath all the fancy kit!
BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT:
- You will be screened and have a pre-appointment assessment over the phone before all appointments, including questions about your general health and of course about signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
- You will be asked to arrive at your scheduled appointment time if an existing patient or 15 minutes early if you are a new patient (to fill out forms). Should you arrive even earlier, you may be asked to wait outside until the scheduled time if the dentist is not available yet. If you arrived late, we reserve the right to reschedule your appointment and you will lose any deposit paid.
- Please do not attend the practice if you become suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19.
- We do everything possible to ensure you are kept safe, including prioritising the first and last appointment of a shift to vulnerable patients.
- You will be asked to only enter the practice by yourself. In exceptional circumstances this is not possible, such as with parents of children, legal guardians and translators. Should you plan to attend with someone else, please explain this to the receptionist and ensure that the other person understands they are not permitted to attend should they have suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- Please do not bring non essential belongings into the practice. We encourage you to bring your own pen for signing documents.
- CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY IF YOU ARE SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED TO HAVE COVID-19 AND DO NOT ATTEND THE PRACTICE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
This includes if you share a household with anybody suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. Please follow all government guidelines for self-isolation and contact us to book an appointment once you have passed the required quarantine period. Should you require emergency treatment please contact NHS 111.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE:
- Please arrive at the time of your appointment if you are an existing patient. If you are a new patient or an existing patient who hasn’t been in a while, you will be required to fill new paperwork so please arrive 15 minutes prior. If you arrive very early, wait outside until your appointment time or call the practice to see if the dentist is available to see you early.
- Do not arrive late or your appointment will most likely be rescheduled and non-refundable deposits will be lost, and will be required to book in further appointments.
- You will be asked to use hand gel which is available at the reception desk. Please do not put used-gloves back on at this point as it would defeat the point of cleaning your hands.
- If you are a new patient, you will be given the option to fill your forms outside or in your car. Ideally, you will have filled them out at home (forms are available on the website).
- If you display any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 you will be asked to leave immediately
- To keep cross infection to a minimum, we will not provide tea or coffee.
- Should you use the restroom, please ensure you leave the facilities as you would expect to find them. They will be regularly disinfected between patients.
- You will be called by a dental nurse into the surgery and will be asked again to use hand gel before entering the treatment room.
DURING YOUR VISIT
- You may be asked to use a mouth rinse. Please alert the dentist or nurse if you are allergic to anything prior to use.
- You will be asked to use hand gel upon entering and leaving the room.
- You may notice the treatment rooms look bare this is because we are only keeping the essentials out. We apologise that items such as stress balls or any other possible cross contaminants may not be offered at this time. Please bring your own one should you need it during treatment.
- Please avoid touching things unnecessarily wherever possible.
- Our practice policy is for patients to pay for treatment in advance, ideally with a credit or debit card to avoid two contacts with reception (not american express). This can be done over the phone or at the reception desk.
- The dentist and nurse may be wearing significantly more PPE than you are used to, including full or half face masks/ respirators and full length gowns. This may make communication difficult so please do let them know if you struggle to understand something or want some reassurance. We are trying as hard as possible to make visits feel as friendly and normal as possible, though the strict levels of PPE can make this a bit difficult.
- Appointment lengths may be longer than what you are used to, this is to account for added disinfection time and the time for donning and doffing PPE.