Covid-19: Clinic Updates
Covid-19: Clinic Updates
Update 11: Friday 16th July 2021


Following on from the recent government announcement regarding the further easing of restrictions from Monday 19th July 2021, we would like to provide an update. We will be continuing to practice as we have been and will not be making any changes at this time. 

In summary:

1. Rob and Katie will continue to provide chiropractic treatment.
2. Rob and Katie will still be wearing PPE (gloves, mask and apron, with eyewear if necessary).
3. We would still appreciate it for patients to wear face coverings for their appointments, unless medically exempt.
4. Appointments will remain partially spread out to minimise the amount of footfall at any one time.
5. Please cancel/rearrange your appointment if you feel unwell or have any covid symptoms.
6. Please attend the appointments alone, unless you require assistance or parent/guardian if under 16.


Many Thanks


Update 10: Tuesday 5th January 2021


Following on from the recent government announcement regarding the third national lockdown (starting Tuesday 5th January 2021) the clinic will be able to remain open to provide chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors are listed in Statutory Instrument 350: The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. This means that chiropractors may continue to be open and receiving chiropractic treatment is a necessary reason for a patient to travel away from home. 

Unfortunately for the time being sports massage therapy with Mel is unavailable during the lockdown.

As we have mentioned before, please adhere to our measures that we have put in place when attending the clinic to help allow us to minimise everyone's risk. These can be found under our Resources Tab (Covid 19: Clinic Policies) at the top of the page. This information will also be sent out to anyone who books an appointment and are also available to read in the clinic.


Best Wishes
Rob & Katie Simpson



Update 9: Sunday 1st November


Following on from the recent government announcement regarding a second national lockdown (starting Thursday 5th November) the clinic will be able to remain open to provide chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors are listed in Statutory Instrument 350: The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. This means that chiropractors may continue to be open and receiving chiropractic treatment is a necessary reason for a patient to travel away from home. 

As we have mentioned before, please adhere to our measures that we have put in place when attending the clinic to help allow us to minimise everyone's risk. These can be found under our Resources Tab (Covid 19: Clinic Policies) at the top of the page. This information will also be sent out to anyone who books an appointment and are also available to read in the clinic.


Best Wishes
Rob & Katie Simpson



Update 8: Monday 15th June


We are now able to offer face-to-face appointments for all patients, those who need an urgent appointment as well as all non-urgent/routine/maintenance appointments. Please get in touch if you are in need of an appointment. 

As we have mentioned before, please adhere to our new measures that we have put in place when attending the clinic to help allow us to gradually open up the clinic further whilst minimising everyone's risk. These can be found under our Covid-19 Resource Tabs, they will also be sent out to anyone who books an appointment and are also available to read in the clinic.

For those in high risk groups (and even if you're not), there is no rush to re-book your appointment. Simply get back in touch when you feel ready to.


Best Wishes
Rob & Katie Simpson


Update 7: Monday 1st June


We are now open again!! However at this time, we are only able to offer face-to-face appointments for those who need an urgent appointment. Please get in touch if you are in need of an appointment. 

We are currently working with less staff (as mentioned in previous updates) and so we apologise if we cannot get to the phone right away, but please leave us a message and we will get back in touch asap. Alternatively send us an email or you can book appointments online via this website. 

As we have mentioned before, please adhere to our new measures that we have put in place when attending the clinic to help allow us to gradually open up the clinic so those in need can start to get some help whilst minimising everyones risk. These can be found under our Covid-19 Resource Tabs, they will also be sent out to anyone who books an appointment and are also available to read in the clinic.

(We will be gradually making direct contact with all patients who had their appointments cancelled at the start of the pandemic regarding our re-opening, re-booking appointments and the new measures that have been put in place).


Best Wishes
Rob & Katie Simpson


Update 6: Tuesday 26th May


RE-OPENING DATE – Monday 1st June 2020

The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) recently confirmed that chiropractors in England can return to work to offer face-to-face appointments for urgent care and only once the clinic environment has met all the new safety standards and measures that they have set out, together with the General Chiropractic Council, the Royal College of Chiropractors and the current government advice and guidelines. We have been working hard behind the scenes performing risk assessments and writing new procedures to be able to get all these measures in place, and we can now inform you that the clinic will be open again from the 1st June. 

Urgent care encompasses those that are in significant pain, pain that effects work, sleep or performing basic daily activities eg walking, dressing, driving.

We would like to reassure all our patients and the wider public that every precaution is being taken to minimise exposure to the Coronavirus. The measures that have been put in place for patient and staff safety include, but are not limited to the following:

  • • Initially, only one chiropractor will be working, to minimise footfall and to be able to adhere to social distancing within the practice

  • • No reception staff or non-chiropractic services present to reduce footfall and for staff safety

  • • The number of appointments available have been reduced to ensure frequent gaps between patients, to minimise contact between the public and to be able to perform cleaning of communal areas

  • • Online bookings via our website will be back up and running this week and all patients will be encouraged to use this facility

  • • Clear signage at the entrance to the building to advise people not to enter unless turning up for a booked appointment

  • • Signage throughout the building regarding social distancing, hand hygiene and coronavirus symptoms

  • • The waiting area is clearly marked with where to sit and/or stand to be able to comply with social distancing

  • • Hand sanitising facilities are readily available at the entrance to the clinic, in reception and within treatment rooms

  • • Frequent cleaning of work surfaces, chairs, door handles and the card payment machine with appropriate viricidal cleaning products

  • • Treatment benches and treatment equipment will be santised between patients

  • • Windows will be kept open where possible for maintaining air flow

  • • Contactless payments where possible 

  • • All patients will be asked to arrive on time (if early must wait in the car/outside) and to not linger after an appointment, in order to maintain social distancing and reduce the time inside the building

  • • Chiropractors will be wearing scrubs that are cleaned and washed in line with NHS guidelines and are not worn outside of the clinic

  • • Chiropractors have been trained in the correct use of PPE in line with guidance provided by the Government and British Chiropractic Association

All patients will be sent a Covid-19: Patient Information Sheet on our new safety measures and instructions for arrival at the practice when attending for appointments. 

All patients will also be required to complete our Covid-19: Patient Consent & Patient Self-Declaration Form prior to treatment. Where possible, the information and forms will be sent to patients via email from our clinic management software.


WE ARE UNABLE TO SEE YOU IF:
Someone in your household/under your care is in a higher risk group for complications from the virus. High risk or extremely clinically vulnerable people are advised to shield. More information on what dictates an extremely clinically vulnerable person can be found at the link below.



RESCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT (for two weeks later) IF:
You, or someone in your household/under your care is self-isolating, or have any symptoms such as:
  • • Cough (new and continuous) 
  • • Fever (high temperature)
  • • Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste



CONSIDER RESCHEDULING YOUR APPOINTMENT IF:
You are an older person (over 70’s) with underlying health conditions.

If you have any questions about the clinic’s new measures or if you would like to discuss whether you are suitable for face to face appointments, please get in touch.


Best Wishes
Rob & Katie Simpson


Update 5: Monday 11th May

Hi Everyone,

Firstly, we would like to say that we hope everyone is still keeping well as these weeks continue to pass by.

We also wanted to provide another update following on from the latest government announcement last night. Regretfully we have to say that we cannot yet return to our normal working practices. As mentioned in previous posts, the close proximity of any form of manual treatment we do and the regular flow of patients in and out of the practice would go against the latest advice from the government and our professional associations. However, we are currently working on new measures to put in place (in line with guidance from the British Chiropractic Association) to allow us to re-open when the time is right in a modified way that is safe for patients to attend the clinic during these times. 

We are hoping for more guidance this week from the General Chiropractic Council, the Royal College of Chiropractors and particularly, the British Chiropractic Association, who have been exemplary over the last 8 weeks with the work they are doing for their members.

When the clinic reopens, it will not be quite like what it was before as the new measures will all revolve around preventing the spread of the virus with use of PPE, reduced appointment availability (as patients will be more spread out), social distancing in communal areas and further measures to stop cross contamination within the premises. All patients will be provided with further details prior to their appointment of what to expect and information on the measures we have put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.

We will keep you informed here and if you have any questions please get in touch :)

Best Wishes
Rob & Katie Simpson


Update 4: Thursday 16th April

Following on from today's government announcement, it looks as though we will be remained closed for a further 3 weeks until they re assess the situation. We are still available for anyone seeking advice, just email us and we will get back to you or arrange a call back

Best wishes
Rob & Katie
Update 3: Sunday 22nd March

Following on from tonight's news, clearly emphasising the collective responsibility we all have right now for social distancing, we have had to make the decision to close our clinic with immediate effect.

We had put plans in place to close in a weeks time, with reduced patient visits this coming week, but we felt that due to the nature of our work both involving being less than 2m apart and putting the patients wellbeing first, this had to happen now.

For those of you that still have appointments booked in, we will be getting in contact with you all in due course.

We are still available to give any advice so please just get in touch with us via email or messenger and we will be more than happy to give you a call back to help out as much as we can.

We will of course be in touch with all our patients when we can open back up again!!

Best wishes
Rob & Katie
Update 2: Friday 20th March

Dear All,

With the further development in the current coronavirus situation, like all of us, we have had to start making further decisions without the certainty of knowing what the outcome will be. 

We have made the decision that we will be closing from Friday 27th March for a minimum of two weeks (Monday 30th March – Sunday 12th April) but anticipate it is likely to be for longer. Although our exact business sector has not received a mandatory instruction to close by the government, the General Chiropractic Council or the British Chiropractic Association (yet, but it will be coming soon) we feel that due to the nature of our work we have to make a pre-emptive plan to play our part in taking responsibility for the health and wellbeing of all our patients, staff, ourselves and wider community. This means further reducing the amount of interaction between members of the public over the next few weeks as it looks like we will follow suit of London and other European countries. For us as chiropractors this is especially due to the close proximity our job involves and although many rely on us, chiropractors are for the most part not classified as ‘Emergency Care’.

The week commencing Monday 23rd March will be our last week open, where we have taken further precautions again for the week. All patients now have a minimum of a 15 minute gap between them, reception staff have now been asked to not come in and our other practitioners are all finished. This means there should only ever be two people in the building at any time. For those with appointments next week, please come alone if you possibly can. If you need to be driven, they must wait in the car. It is unlikely that we will now take on new appointments. 

Obviously, if you (or household members) have had any of the known symptoms AND/OR been in close proximity to anyone with symptoms DO NOT come in.

We have been monitoring the activity of chiropractic clinics in London as well as other European countries, America and Canada to see the opinions and timings of clinic closures based on the progression of the virus and feel we are making the right decision. However, as we all know, there’s new information daily and so this could still change. 

For all the patients with appointments booked from Tuesday 14th April onwards, we will be in contact with you as the situation unfolds.

It is a difficult but also obvious and inevitable decision, especially as so many people rely on us but we promise to be back open as soon as we can. We couldn’t be happier with the support we have had from everyone and we will be planning on providing further information and advice during this time via our website and our facebook page (so please like/follow if you don’t already) and hopefully we can provide any help we can. 

Please make contact with us with any questions or concerns you may have via email (rob@melkshamchiropractic.co.uk) or via messenger on our facebook page.

Best wishes and much love to everyone

Rob & Katie Simpson
Chiropractors and Clinic Directors

Update 1:

As we follow the development of the Coronavirus, we would like to make it clear that if you show any of the symptoms as described in the latest NHS guidelines, then please DO NOT come in to the clinic. Please call or email us to rebook your appointment. 

For further information, click on the following link.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
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