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It’s been a tough few months for all of us, but I wanted to take this opportunity to say “thank you” for all of the support that I received during lockdown. It was lovely to see, speak to and support you online and I can’t wait to see you all in person again.

I am happy to announce that the clinic will reopen as soon as the government allows me to – but as it stands, the probable date will be the 6th of July.

There will be an influx of appointment requests when I first reopen, so if you want to be put on a waiting list, please send me an email now and I will contact you to arrange a date and time. Please bear with me during this period as I get things up and running again!

This has been a challenging time for everyone, and a lot of significant changes in how we have to do things have taken place.

Throughout the pandemic, I have been keeping up-to-date with the latest public health guidelines, as well as webinars focusing on infection prevention and control and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

I feel it’s important to outline some of the measures that I’ll be taking going forward in order to ensure that the practice is as safe an environment as possible for you as a patient when the clinic reopens. As always, your safety is my chief concern.

If you are a patient with me already, you will notice a big difference from how the practice is normally run. But remember – all of these measures have been put into place after extensive research into guidelines on how to keep you as safe as possible as a patient.

CONSULTATIONS AND FOLLOW-UPS

Where possible, I want to encourage all patients – and specifically, my new clients – to have a virtual consultation instead of face-to-face. Via video call, I can still recommend treatments and discuss risks and benefits, as well as everything else you need to know before coming for treatment. This will help lower the risk of contamination to you and other patients.

Prior to booking a consultation, I will speak with you to establish if attending the practice is the most appropriate course of action. If we do decide that a face-to-face appointment is necessary, I will send a form for you to complete or we can do it over the phone or video during our online consultation. This form is a simple questionnaire to identify risk factors for Covid-19. Once completed you will then be able to book an appointment.

Wherever possible, I will also aim to conduct follow-up appointments online.

Unfortunately, those who are considered at-risk will not be allowed to come into the clinic during this time.

PHYSICAL DISTANCE

I have reduced the number of appointments I see within a shift, to allow time for sterilising the clinic room and for each patient to exit the building prior to another arriving. I will also stagger the scheduling of appointments to minimise patients meeting in the practice or corridor.

Clients coming for treatment will be encouraged not to bring anyone with them, and the clinic will be clear of all non-essential items including leaflets, magazines, and so on.

CLEANING THE CLINIC

The treatment chair, all surfaces and equipment, including working desks, door handles and switches, will be sterilised after each patient has left that area. The card payment machine will also be sterilised after each use.

Clients will have access to a cleaning station on entry to the building and there will be paper towels placed in the toilet area for handwashing.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE CLINIC?

On arrival at the clinic, please stay in your car until your appointment time. I will contact you by phone when I am ready to see you. This is to help minimise any contact with other clients and gives time for complete cleaning of every surface in the clinic after every appointment.

This will also allow time for the room to ventilate between patients; research has shown 20 minutes of ventilation will fully circulate ‘clean air’ into the room.

When you enter the building, you will see a cleaning station and paper towels at the main entrance. You can also use the kitchen and toilets to wash your hands, which have soap and paper towels/drying facilities.

The next step is to join me in the treatment room where I will greet you – however, be aware I will be in PPE, so I might look a little different from usual!

I strongly encourage the use of the hand sanitiser provided on entry and exit of the clinic.

You may be asked to wear a mask depending on the procedure you are having done; you can either bring your own or use a disposable one I will supply at the clinic.

I have introduced all these measures to keep all my patients safe throughout the coronavirus crisis, and to help make sure you feel confident when you attend your appointment.

I know this might seem scary or a lot to take in, but these guidelines are in place to keep us all safe and healthy. It might take us all a while to get used to the “new normal” – but we can do this by working together.

I can’t wait to welcome you back to Dr Raquel Skin and Medical Cosmetics.

If you want to book an appointment, please contact me in one of the following ways:

By email:[email protected]
By telephone (ideally via WhatsApp due to mobile coverage problems): 01732525875 or 07530 175307

Pre-booking of appointments is now available.