On 1st June 2022, NHS England & NHS Improvement updated its guidance on the wearing of face coverings in GP surgeries & throughout the NHS.
We have discussed this with our colleagues at The Marshside Surgery & following a risk assessment, we have agreed the following changes:
- Patients, staff & visitors should continue to wear face masks within our consultation rooms, apart from when one member of staff is in the room alone, subject to any genuine medical exemptions.
- Patients, staff & visitors will not be required to wear face masks routinely in other areas of the building unless it is their personal preference.
- Patients with acute respiratory symptoms or other symptoms of potential Covid-19 infection should continue to wear a face mask at all times whilst in the building, including in our non-clinical areas. This will be identified by our reception team when booking appointments & text message reminders may be used for prebooked appointments. These patients will also be asked to sit away from other patients in our waiting room.
- When assessing a patient with acute respiratory symptoms or other symptoms of potential Covid-19 infection, the assessor is responsible for cleaning the surfaces in their room using Clinell Universal wipes, opening the window to improve ventilation or using another consultation room, if appropriate.
- We will review these decisions if the infection prevention & control guidance is changed again, or if we subsequently identify that any of our staff are extremely clinically vulnerable to Covid-19.
Please click here to read our full risk assessment & the relevant NHS England guidance. Thank you to all our patients for their continued support with this matter.
