PANDEMIC MATTERS

• Ophthalmology involves close contact with patients and has a potential for viral transmission. We can minimize these risks with the measures and the changed procedures that we have adopted as outlined below
• We have reduced our services to see only urgent eye problems, or those who require maintenance treatment for preservation of vision
• The clinic will be physically closed at times when we are not consulting, but the phones will be answered.
• Where possible, we will conduct phone consultations
• If your visit can be deferred, we will do so. We will be ringing patients in advance to decide on the degree of urgency. We are happy to assist by sending prescriptions or reports that you might require
• We ask that you do not attend if you have a fever, cough or flu-like symptoms, have been in contact with a known or suspected carrier of SARS-COV-2 virus. If you are in doubt, please ring in advance and we can give you advice about testing
• If you are being seen at the clinic, the following modifications have been made to the consultation process. We will guide you through this and endeavour to keep you feeling both safe and relaxed:
  • We have reduced the frequency of booking to one patient every half hour. This means that there will only be one patient in the clinic at a time and we will be able to clean all surfaces before and after each consultation.
  • We will ask you to wait at first on the chairs and benches on the patio outside the waiting room.
  • We will ask you to use the hand sanitizer at the front desk upon entry into the waiting area.
  • In some instances, when you are required to wait during the course of the consultation, for example to have further testing or for dilating eye drops to take effect, we will ask you to return again to the patio outside the waiting room.
• Perspex barriers have been placed around the reception desk and around our diagnostic instruments for your protection and that of our doctors and staff.
• We have removed magazines and cups or other touchable objects.
• The staff and doctors will be wearing surgical masks or N95 masks during the consultation and treatment.
• Do not touch doorknobs and avoid touching other surfaces. Our staff will open and shut the doors after cleansing all surfaces.
• We prefer wherever possible not to receive payment by EFPTOS rather than cash.

Although all of the above does sound quite daunting, in practice the consultations have been flowing smoothly and we are able to keep you relaxed and safe.