05/06/2020
Friday 21/08/2020
Clarification regarding normal resumption of Dental Services
Dear Patients,
We hope you & your families are all keeping well during this difficult time.
You may have heard on local media that dental practices in Northern Ireland can re-open and begin the resumption of a full normal dental service from Monday 20th July 2020.
This is inaccurate.
The current guidelines from the Chief Dental Officer of Northern Ireland continues to be that only urgent dental care, that is Trauma, Severe Pain, Swelling or Uncontrollable Bleeding can be treated in practice, and indeed the types of treatment are severely restricted.
Those cases requiring more complex treatment are to be referred to an urgent Dental Centre based in Craigavon.
From Monday 20th July we have been permitted to carry out a much greater range of treatments. However due to the enhanced Covid-19 cross-infection protocols we will be severely restricted in the numbers of patients we can see.
Also, unfortunately as of yet 14/07/2020 we have not been supplied with the appropriate personal protective equipment from the NHS, specifically ffp3 masks which the NHS guidelines require us to use for any aerosol generating procedures(AGP'S).
Until we receive or can obtain a sufficient supply of ffp3 masks we will be unable to provide a normal or routine service.
Therefore we have made the decision that until we receive the necessary PPE we cannot safely carry out a routine service. We will of course continue to treat any emergency or urgent dental care treatment.
We are currently prioritising patients who require urgent and non-urgent treatments. We will do our very best to try to facilitate patients but we still can only work according to the restrictions in place and the PPE available.
We ask those patients who require routine dental treatment to wait until the end of SEPTEMBER 2020 before contacting the practice.
It is important to remember that these cross-infection protocols are in place to protect the health of our patients and also our staff and our families.
Here at Newry Street Dental, we take cross infection very serious, and the practice has introduced a number of measures for the patient’s safety during the Covid-19 crisis, this includes:
1. Patients will be asked some screening medical questions before attending the practice.
2. Patients should attend for their appointments as close to their appointment time as possible. They should knock the door and wait to be directed into the practice by a member of the dental team.
3. Inevitably there may be a delay in appointment times, we may ask patients to return to their vehicle and we will contact you to return when social distancing is possible.
4. We ask that except for children and patients with carer’s that patients come alone.
5. Social distancing should always be observed, please follow directions from staff and floor markings.
6. Payments should be made by card if possible.
7. Please do not arrive without an appointment.
8. Please use the automatic hand sanitizer when you enter the practice.
And finally, just to re-emphasize we have remained open during the entire Covid-19 crisis trying out best under very difficult circumstances to care for our patients and we are very grateful for all the kind help and support we have received during this period.
We hope that our patients will understand and hopefully in time we can resume normal services.
Many thanks
Thank you so much
From all at Newry Street Dental
