Important information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

You will also have your temperature taken by an infrared non touch thermometer, this is to help keep our patients and colleagues safe.

All our staff will be wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in line with Public Health England guidance.

Please do not arrive early for your appointment, please arrive on time, if you arrive early, where possible please wait in your vehicle. We aim to reduce the amount of time patients are in the service.

Do not bring children and family members to your appointment unless necessary.

Children who are attending appointments should be accompanied by one adult only.

Translation services will be provided if needed do not bring family members for this purpose

You will notice that some seating areas have been cornered off and that there are markings on the floor to ensure social distancing, please obey these signs.

NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do. Please follow Government advice published at nhs.uk/coronavirus.

The NHS and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal, for more information please see https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance#guidance-for-the-public

 

Due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the UK and the recent announcement asking for people to stay at home, all our services are severely affected. We are restricting face-to-face consultations to essential services only and we have had to significantly reduce the provision of routine procedures across our service.

 We confirm that all pre planned Appointments are still going ahead. If you would prefer a telephone or video appointment, please speak to us to see if this is possible. 

 Please note that you will be  asked a series of screening questions around COVID-19 when you attend the service and you will have your temperature taken, this is to help keep our patients and colleagues safe.

In line with NHS guidance, do not attend the service and please contact us to cancel your appointment:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• You live with someone displaying any of the above symptoms

• if you have symptoms of coronavirus, you’ll need to stay at home for 7 days
• if you live with someone who has symptoms, you’ll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symptoms
• Do not visit any of our facilities and please call us to cancel your appointment if you have:

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

Testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home.

 

More information

NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do. Please follow Government advice published at nhs.uk/coronavirus.

The NHS and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal, for more information please see https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance#guidance-for-the-public

Look after your mental health – support and guidance is available to access on line at Every Mind Mattershttps://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

 

What services have temporarily stopped?

In line with current guidance, we have temporarily ceased the provision of the following procedures:

• All routine Minor Surgery appointments
• Phototherapy
• PUVA
• Patch Testing
• Routine Face to Face appointments
• Botox

Our decision is based on advice that has been issued from the British Association of Dermatologists, Public Health England and NHS England. The recommendations include restrictions in face-to-face contact with healthcare professionals, and the expansion of remote (online/telephone) consultations and prescribing.