The Prime Minister’s statement on 10 May 2020 heralded a move towards a second phase of pandemic response in England, which followed a clear signal from NHS England to local community health providers to restart the provision of some services. On Tuesday 19th May the Institute for Osteopathy issued new guidelines for the opening up of osteopathic services to non-urgent patients.
Face to face treatment can be provided for urgent and routine patients.
Triage assesses the benefits of treatment against your risk of Covid-19.
The judgement of each patient will be considered.
Access to appointments
We are aiming to reduce patient contact by conducting all initial consults online. Together we can discuss treatment options are appropriate taking in to account your treatment preferences and your risk of Covid-19. We will offer:
a) remote treatment by online videolink. Appropriate for patients in any risk group. These appointments will provide advice and exercise prescription, which will support you in your efforts to self-manage your symptoms at home.
b) face to face treatment in clinic. Appropriate for patients in low or moderate risk groups. These appointments will provide hands on treatment in accordance with the current PPE requirements and Infection Prevention Control procedures (ee below).
c) referral onwards to your GP/walk in clinic/A&E.
Our infection control procedures
We have infection control procedures in place to minimise transmission as much as possible. These are all in accordance to Public Health England’s COVID-19: infection prevention and control guidance and the Institute for Osteopathy’s Infection control and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in osteopathic practice guidance. Our procedures are to:
minimise face to face time in the clinic: We do this by conducting some of the preceding history taking and examinaton online by videolink. Patients booking online are given the option to pay online to minimise time in reception.
enable social distancing: We do this by asking patients to wait in their car (or in the car park) before their appointments.
maximise ventilation and air exchange: We have well ventilated large treatment rooms and leave 15 minutes between patients to allow good air exchange.
minimise patient surface contact: We have contactless card payment (new limit £45) , and doors are opened for you.
ensure clinical equipment used during the treatment is sanitary: We use disposable single items where appropriate. Couches and vinyl pillows are disinfected between sessions. Covers and face cushions have been removed, and gowns are not in use.
ensure the premises are clean and sanitary: We have increased the frequency of cleaning at the clinic to include daily disinfection of the hard floors, surfaces and bathroom.
utilise personal protective equipment (PPE): We use all the recommended PPE which comprises disposable nitrile gloves, disposable plastic aprons, eye wear, and fluid resistant type II surgical masks. We also provide patients with masks during some procedures as appropriate.
Balancing risk against benefit in the Covid-19 risk groups
Infection control procedures will minimise transmission but may not eliminate it. Some patients are more at risk of Covid-19 than others. You can find out more about which risk group you are in here. Online remote management remains an option for all risk groups.
If you are Low risk of Covid-19 we will probably be able to offer face to face appointments. Remote management by online videolink is optional.
If you are Moderate risk of Covid-19 (clinically vulnerable) we may still be able to offer face to face appointments if this is your preference. Remote management by online videolink may be more appropriate.
If you are High risk of Covid-19 (shielding) we will not be able to offer face to face appointments. Remote management by online videolink will be most appropriate.
People at Moderate risk from coronavirus include people who:
are 70 or older
are pregnant
have a lung condition that's not severe (such as asthma, COPD, emphysema or bronchitis)
have heart disease (such as heart failure)
have diabetes
have chronic kidney disease
have liver disease (such as hepatitis)
have a condition affecting the brain or nerves (such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy)
have a condition that means they have a high risk of getting infections
are taking medicine that can affect the immune system (such as low doses of steroids)
are very obese (a BMI of 40 or above)
Find out more here
People at high risk from coronavirus include people who:
have had an organ transplant
are having chemotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer, including immunotherapy
are having an intense course of radiotherapy (radical radiotherapy) for lung cancer
are having targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system (such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors)
have blood or bone marrow cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma)
have had a bone marrow or stem cell transplant in the past 6 months, or are still taking immunosuppressant medicine
have been told by a doctor they you have a severe lung condition (such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma or severe COPD)
have a condition that means they have a very high risk of getting infections (such as SCID or sickle cell)
are taking medicine that makes them much more likely to get infections (such as high doses of steroids)
have a serious heart condition and are pregnant
Find out more here