Covid 19 Protocol from patient’s initial contact to post appointment

Updated 02/01/2021

From initial patient contact to patient walking out the door

• Old Bawn Clinic remains open as an essential service under public health advice.
• All public health guidelines are followed
• Patient contacts via website/email/phone to make appointment
• Patient offered online or face to face consultation and given appointment time
• Patient asked:
  • Any signs or symptoms of Covid 19
  • If they have been in close contact with anyone with confirmed or suspected Covid 19
  • If they have been to a high risk country in the 14 days prior to the appointment
  • If patient has answers yes to any of the above then they are offered an online appointment and a face to face appointment can be scheduled once they have complete their specific isolated/restricted time.
• If a new patient, patient advised that there is an online appointment service which can be used also should they wish.
• Patient is advised that the clinic will only be able to take card payment manually into the machine to avoid patients touching the card machine and also cash if necessary but ideally card.
• Patient asked to arrive only on time for the appointment and no earlier
• Patient advised to stay in their car until the physio calls them in
• Patient informed of what PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) will be used.
  • Mask for both patient and physio
  • Apron for physio
• Patient is informed that that once the physio calls them from the car they will go directly to the clinical room and the physio will open all the doors
• Patient is then given hand sanitizer to use.
• Explanation to patient that the room will be set up so the physio and patient are sitting 2m apart.
• Explanation to the patient that the physio will try do as much of the consultation as possible from a distance and then any close contact assessment or treatment will be done in as short a time as possible.
• Patient is advised not to touch anything apart from their chair and plinth unless otherwise necessary or advised.
• Patient can be given theraband if they wish to take some at their own risk
• Physio may leave the consultation room to wash hands on many occasions throughout the appointment
• Physio then decides if next appointment should be online or face to face.
• Physio takes the payment from the patient and arranges a receipt.
• Once consultation/treatment is finalised physio escorts patient out of the building again opening all of the doors.
• Physio takes PPE off the patient and disposes of beside the door
• Patient is then given hand sanitizer to use.

After patients walks out the door

• Physio disposes of their PPE, washes hands and uses hand sanitizer
• Door handles and everything that was touched from front door to clinical room to be cleaned
• Plinth, desk, chairs, equipment used all cleaned using disinfectant spray
• New paper covering on bed for each patient
• Full and thorough clean of clinical space again every 3 hours.
• Ensure there is hand sanitizer in each room and PPE ready to go
• If physio feels there was an exposure in the clinic to Covid 19- the physio must report same to Old Bawn Clinic management.
• Covid Health and Safety Audit to be carried out monthly and more often where required by public health guidelines.