Coronavirus Update 2.11.20.

Following the Prime Ministers announcement of another lockdown, I can advise patients that Horbury Dental Care will remain open.

The government have made it clear that businesses should continue to operate and specifically in regards to dentistry, we have been advised that care should continue.

The government has acknowledged that the delay to delivering healthcare can lead to further problems and complications. It is therefore important that we should aim to continue to see our patients knowing that if treatments are postponed, the delays can result in treatment becoming complicated later.

We want to ensure that patients’ oral health is maintained and we aim not to compromise our values and beliefs. The well being of a patients is our paramount concern.

Unfortunately, our services are necessarily having to be restricted due to the regulations now imposed on us by the pandemic. Some of these restrictions are not unique to dentistry – maintaining distancing and restrictions of numbers of people in the building for example. There are also some dentistry specific guidelines that we additionally need to follow – such as the need to allow a “fallow period” between patients after some treatments. The net effect of this is that our capacity is significantly reduced, and we are having to prioritise care according to individual circumstances.

That said, the vast majority of appointments that are presently arranged will continue as planned. Please keep your next appointment with us if you are able to.

The government have also advised that they are not recommending shielding for any group as they did in the last lockdown. However, they have said that patients in the more vulnerable groups should consider very carefully whether it is appropriate for them to be venturing out at a time that the infection rates are increasing. The government website gives us definitions for those patients that are deemed “Clinically vulnerable” and “Extremely Clinically Vulnerable”.

We will be undertaking risk assessments for every patient that we see. In some situations we may recommend that you delay your appointment and will contact you to discuss this if that is the case.

If you feel your circumstances have changed since you last visited us or are in one of these groups and would like to postpone your planned appointment, then please let us know.

Finally, we are expecting a very high volume of telephone calls at this time. We are fully open and fully staffed but please be patient if you are trying to ring us. We will answer all calls but you may be in a queue. Nevertheless, if your call is of an urgent nature then please do ring us and we will do our best to deal with your enquiry as promptly as possible.

If your enquiry is of a more general nature, then please consider sending us an email on willings@horburydentalcare.co.uk We will aim to respond to all emails within 24 hours.

If your enquiry is about a future appointment then email is the preferred communication at this time as we try to keep phone lines open for patients with urgent dental problems such as pain and trauma. Or for those with appointments already made on the day of the call, who may need to clari-fy something about their visit.

If you haven’t yet been to see us since the COVID restrictions came into force in June, then please see our downloadable Horbury Dental Care- What To Expect document. Which explains what you can expect about your next visit to the dentist.

We will continue to monitor the advise from the British Dental Association, NHS England and from the Office of the Chief Dental Officer. We will follow national guidelines and respond appro-priately if guidance changes further. I will aim to update the advice on the website promptly should there be any need to change this information.

I hope that you and your families remain safe and well at this difficult time. Please continue to follow government guidelines.

Mark Willings