At the Harley Street Smile Clinic the safety of our teams and our patients is of paramount importance to us. We want to reassure you that we continue to monitor the situation very closely to ensure we can provide the most up to date help, information and guidance.

Covid-19 is a new virus and there is, therefore, a lot of uncertainty surrounding it. We want to focus on things we can all control so that we can all play our part in helping to limit the spread of the disease.

Dental practices already have to comply with high standards of infection control and decontamination. This means that our practices are safe places to work and for our patients to attend. This in itself will help to prevent the transmission and spread of all infections, including the coronavirus.

In line with the Government’s advice last evening, we have added some additional preventative measures that will help as we enter the delay phase.

Patient information

• Patients should be reassured they are safe to attend their appointments if they are not symptomatic and have not had close contact with any person who has had a confirmed case.
• Patients should be asked to use hand sanitiser upon entering the practice.
• Practice teams should continue to ask all patients contacting the practice the questions below – if anyone answers yes to any of the questions, please ask them to return home and contact NHS 111 for further advice, and make a note in their patient record

• Have you been to any Category 1 areas in the last 14 days? Ask this whether or not the patient has any symptoms.
• Have you travelled to any Category 2 areas in the last 14 days and have any symptoms, however mild (a cough, temperature or shortness of breath)?
• Have you had close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of coronavirus?
• Have you been advised to self-isolate?

If patients have had a recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temp, please advise them to stay at home and follow the guidance given here

• Please provide tissues for your patients in the waiting rooms to catch any sneezes and coughs and a lidded non-touch bin (i.e. pedal bin or censored) for them to dispose of used tissues.

General Social Guidance

Where possible

• Avoid close contact (2 metres) with people where possible e.g. on public transport.
• Avoid shaking hands, hugging, kissing friends.
• Stay home if you have had a recent onset of a continuous cough and/or temperature.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Use hand sanitisers containing at least 60% alcohol.

Keep calm, stay safe, carry on and wash your hands more frequently!