COVID-19 CLINIC SAFETY RESPONSE PLAN

The best way to prevent person-to-person spread of COVID-19 is to use proper hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and practise physical distancing. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/

 Antigen testing: The clinician will self-antigen test at suitable intervals.

PRE-SCREENING:

Prior to attending the clinic for an appointment the client will be given the Clinic’s Screening Questionnaire over the phone while the appointment is being booked. If a client answers yes to any of the questions they will be informed to self-isolate and to contact their GP by phone as soon as possible.  Once a client has passed the pre-screening procedure they will be asked to sign and date it when they arrive in the clinic. A GDPR form along with a Covid-19 waiver form will be made available for signing also prior to commencement of any treatments.

Temperature Taking:

As part of the pre-screening process, all clients must allow their temperature to be take by the clinician. An infrared non-contact thermometer will be used. If a normal temperature is registered, then treatment may be given. If a high temperature is registered (38 degrees Centigrade or above), then the client will have to return home without being treated, self-isolate and consult with his or her GP.

Clinic Access:

Prior to arriving at the clinic, clients will have been notified of the requirement to enter the clinic already wearing a face mask and disposable latex gloves which they must provide for themselves, without which it will not be possible to proceed with the treatment. Both items must be worn continuously until such time as the client has left the clinic and returned to their car.

Upon arrival to the clinic, clients will have to wait in their car until such time as they receive a text or call from me instructing them to enter the clinic. This will avoid clients from earlier treatments meeting the next incoming client and allow the clinic time to re-sanitize surfaces and air the treatment space prior to commencement of the next treatment. Punctuality to appointments will support the clinic in this regard.

Once treatment is over the client must take both the face mask and gloves away with them. This is to totally minimize the presence of possibly contaminated objects within the clinic.

Only one client will be treated during any treatment session thus avoiding contact with others and reducing surface contamination. Minors must be accompanied by an adult and both people must wear a face mask and disposable latex gloves for the duration of their stay in the clinic (described above) while always maintaining the designated distance of 2 meters from each other. Infants and very young will, obviously, be exempt from this requirement.

Treatment Time

Although the ethos of this clinic has always been and will continue to be holistic, treating not just the person’s symptoms, but their emotional and mental health also, the Covid-19 pandemic necessitates that treatment times and therefore contact time be kept to a necessary minimum which will limit treatments largely to the treatment of the presenting symptoms in the main, until such time as the authorities declare it safe to lift the present restrictions. Further naturopathic advice or consultations can be carried out at alternative times, pre-arranged, by phone or email.

More Vulnerable Clients:

Priority appointment scheduling will be applied as much as possible to those whom the HSE categorise as Extremely Vulnerable: for example:

·  are over 70 years of age - even if you're fit and well

·  have had an organ transplant

·  are undergoing active chemotherapy for cancer

·  are having radical radiotherapy for lung cancer

&

Vulnerable groups

The list of people in high risk groups includes people who, for example:

Toilet Facilities and Hand Washing:

Should you require to use the toilet facilities, which are shared with one other office, you are requested to wash your hands thoroughly (20 seconds minimum) and then ONLY dry them under the automatic hand dryer installed for this purpose before leaving the bathroom. NO cloth towels are to be used should they be in place in the toilet facilities.

Post treatment presentation of Covid-19 symptoms:

Should you experience symptoms of the Corona Virus in the immediate days after you have received a treatment in the clinic, you must self-quarantine immediately, contact your GP via phone and contact this clinic and give full details of your symptoms, giving relevant details of all those you have come in contact with since your last treatment and the onset of the Covid-19 symptoms. This information will be kept on an encrypted drive for security reasons and will only be given to the authorities to help with tracing procedures.

Clients arriving from abroad: Any client who has recently arrived from any of the countries not on the Green Listed Countries will be refused treatment and access to the clinic until such time as their self-quarantine has been fulfilled. Should anything in the client’s condition, symptoms or conversation indicate that (s)he may present a risk of spreading the infection (s)he will be immediately requested to return home and to get in direct contact their with their GP.

Reporting of Covid-19 Cases:

Nature’s Health & Acupuncture Clinic is legally obliged to report any instances of the Covid-19 virus that we become aware of or suspect, as directed by the HSE and current legislation.

COVID-19 is reportable under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020 by a medical practitioner who becomes aware of or suspects an instance of such disease. Such a report shall be sent to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in the HSE: https://www.hpsc.ie/notifiablediseases/

All used clinic sharps and other possible contaminated materials are disposed of by an authorized dealer at regularly established intervals.