Our practice is open and safe
We will still be open during this second national lockdown. We'd like you to keep your appointments if you have one and want to reassure you that our practice is a safe place to be.
We have excellent infection control procedures along with a robust triaging policy to ensure the safety of both patients and staff. Our dedicated team are very familiar with the infection control procedures being used to manage the virus as they are much the same as those that have been applied by our practice for many years.
We have all the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and will continue to follow national guidelines and standards.
If you are worried about your attendance, please contact us to discuss your concerns and we can always postpone your treatment till a later date.
We continue to recommend that patients in the high-risk category for COVID-19 delay non-essential treatment until further guidance has been given by the relevant authorities.
Emergency appointments will only be arranged by telephone in advance.
We are only able to provide limited services due to social distancing and the fact that aerosol generating procedures are limited at this time.
We will be prioritising patients in greatest need of care.
If you have a dental emergency or need advice then please contact our telephone triage service by calling the practice on 0117 9637670 or sending us an email at bedminster@omegadental.co.uk . Should you have any administrative queries email us at bedminster@omegadental.co.uk.
We just wanted to be clear that this may not be business as usual. The treatments you are offered may be different to those you received before, depending on staff and equipment available. It will take some time before services return to what you previously experienced as normal. Please be patient.
Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
• Our practice will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You'll be asked those same questions again at your appointment
• We have hand sanitiser that we will ask you to use when you enter the practice. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the practice for you to use as needed.
• We no longer offer magazines, children's toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you're offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
How you can help:
The patient should use the toilet before attending the practice
The patient should bring their own pen (if need to sign paper forms)
The patient should bring their own mask
The patient should only bring minimal belongings into the practice with them
The patient should attend alone wherever possible or with one other person if absolutely necessary
The patient can only enter the building when summoned by phone/SMS or at the agreed time
The patient will be met by a team member wearing appropriate PPE who will check their medical history
Patients will be screened using the standard COVID-19 screening questions and if covid possitive will be referred to an appropriate center (if it is an emergency) or advised to self-isolate
The patient must use the hand sanitiser and put on a disposable mask when entering the building from the PPE station inside the front door
If not using pre-payment/online payment, then payment for should be taken in advance of the dental appointment
If not using emailed digital forms the patient should use their own pen to sign paper forms or to use signature epad (which is then sanitized)
Patient to comply with the social distancing markers at reception.
The patient should then be escorted directly into the surgery
Any patient belongings should be placed in a designated area which will be disinfected after use -
Plastic containers
Once entering the surgery, the patient is asked to retain their face mask (if provided) until the end of the appointment
At the end of treatment, the patient should leave the room immediately, dispose of PPE in a clinical waste bin and perform hand santisation using alcohol gel placed outside the door
The patient collects their belongings from the designated area, and is escorted to the practice exit
We can assure you that we will continue to maintain high standards of cross infection control.
Stay safe and please contact us if you have any questions.
Omega Dental Team
