COVID-19

CLINIC IS OPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC

Osteopaths are NHS Allied Health Professionals and as such have been able to remain open during the Covid lockdowns: coming to see me at Long Lane Osteopathy is a healthcare appointment.

Throughout the pandemic there have been stringent infection control protocols in place in clinic in order to comply with the ongoing advice and guidelines from Public Health England, the Institute of Osteopathy, and the General Osteopathic Council, and to make your visit to clinic as safe as possible.  Some of these measures are listed below: 

  • All surfaces are sanitised after every appointment.
  • Couch covers, pillow cases and fleece blankets are used for just one patient and are changed and laundered after each appointment.
  • The clinic room is aired after every appointment to disperse any potentially aerosolised particles and a window is usually left open during your appointment in order to enhance ventilation in the room. 
  • I wear a FFP2 face mask during each appointment. 
  • I take regular lateral flow tests and, during the current Omicron upsurge, it is appreciated, although not a requirement, if patients can take one before their appointment.
  • Payment continues to be accepted by cash, card or online BACS transfer.  Contactless payment is usually available too.  You are welcome to continue to use your PIN for card payments and the card reader is, of course, sanitised after every use.
  • Toilet facilities are available but, because the toilet is in the main part of our house, I would kindly ask you only to use the facilities in case of urgency.  This will minimise the risk of COVID-19 cross-contamination into our home.

Because of the requirement for room cleaning and airing after every appointment,  I will have fewer appointments available than usual, so please be patient if I can’t fit you in as quickly and as flexibly as I could pre-COVID.

For my health and safety, and that of all my patients, I can’t stress enough that if you have any Covid-19 symptoms, or indeed feel unwell in any way, you do not attend clinic. If you develop symptoms within 5 days of your appointment, you must also let me know in order that I can take the necessary steps to alert any other patients who may be indirectly affected.  

All patients are required to wear a surgical face mask for the duration of their appointment. If you arrive with a fabric mask then you may be asked to change it for one of the clinic surgical masks.  You will also be requested to wash your hands as soon as you come into the clinic room.

In order to reduce the chance of cross-contamination, I would also kindly ask you to bring the absolute minimum of personal possessions into the clinic.

Social distancing of 2m – even 1m for much of the time – simply isn’t possible during hands on treatment. We will, however, be distanced during our initial consultation. Also, appointments will be timed in order to ensure there is no overlap of patients. If you require a chaperone then that is still fine of course, however the chaperone will also need to wear a mask and be symptom-free.

If you want further clarification regarding the clinic protocols, or just want a bit of a chat or reassurance before making an appointment, then please do get in touch.  Leave me a message on the clinic landline, my mobile, by email or using the website's contact form, and I'll get back to you just as soon as I can.

Updated January 2022