Important COVID-19 Information
Operating Guidance
Dear patients,
At the Riverside Dental Centre, patient safety and comfort is of upmost importance to us and we are working hard in order to accommodate as many of you as possible. We have started to see more routine appointments now but are still prioritising emergencies and finishing treatments which were started before the lockdown. We are operating in accordance with government and health professional guidelines, updating due to the covid-19 pandemic.
In order to maintain social distancing we are operating at a reduced capacity in terms of the number of patients present in the Dental Centre at one time. As such, wait times may be slightly longer than usual so we kindly ask that you are patient with us when booking in. We will of course prioritise emergencies as mentioned, relieving any patients of pain or swelling as soon as possible. Our capacity will also be subject to supply of PPE in order to protect yourself as a patient as well as our staff members. At this time, we have also extended our working hours from 7:30am to 7pm in order to allow as many of you access and reduce waiting times as much as possible. All of our Dentists are working shifts of varied hours in order to do our best to offer both morning and afternoon / evening appointments.
Please be aware that medical history forms will all need to be up-to-date and kindly ask that you fill in the online form on our website before attending your appointment. This can be downloaded via the online forms section of the website and then e-mailed to riversidedental.centre@nhs.net once you have filled it out. If you are unable to do this online, then you may come in and do a paper form as usual but we will try to avoid this where possible.
Notable changes you may see in the practice:
- There is hand sanitiser ready which we will ask you to use when you enter the practice.
- Please ensure you have a face covering / mask on when entering the building. This is mandatory according to latest government laws.
- We can no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. This may mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
How you can help:
- Use the bathroom before attending our Dental Centre.
- With the exception of children and patients with carers, patients should come alone.
- A distance of at least 2 metres must be observed if another patient is present in the dental practice.
- Payments will be taken by card where possible.
- Staff will not shake your hand.
- Please try to not arrive early for an appointment. A medical history form is available online as mentioned as well as communication with ourselves is done by phone. As such, social distancing measures can be maintained.
- Please do not arrive without an appointment. If you wish to speak to us then giving us a call is preferable. You may leave a message if the lines are busy with your name and number and we will give you a call back as soon as possible.
We thank you all for your patience during this difficult time and look forward to seeing you soon.
Kind regards,
The team at Riverside Dental Centre
New NHS Patients:
Unfortunately we are unable to accept any new NHS patients at this time. For the latest advice and information about COVID-19, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Thank you for your continued understanding. We wish you and your loved ones well during this difficult time.