Tuesday, June 9, 2020

The patient journey.


Angus has spent much of the pre-dawn hours on the phone to men in dark suits in Asia and Abu Dhabi. Sophie is happy to lie under my desk with her chin on my feet while I talk. I'm convinced that she thinks I'm chatting away to her. After all she's checked and is satisfied there's no one else in the room. Who else could I be talking to but her?


The recently planted sunflowers are starting to grow. I'd guess they're adding  about a centimetre a day.  Give it a month and Sophie will be able to disappear between the stalks and play hide and seek to her hearts content. This morning there are dozens of dragon flies flitting around down by the stream. Sophie stands and stares at them. So does Angus.


A decidedly uninteresting display of cakes at the bakers. An exotic concoction of tinned mandarins and peaches makes an embarrassed appearance at the back of the display cabinet  - 'La Copacabana'. Sophie is tempted but her master isn't.


On our way back to the car we stop at the cafe by the roundabout. It must once have been rather grand but these days hosts men in tracksuits who seem to have nothing better to do than spend their mornings nursing a single cup of coffee and talking to each other in whispers. We're seated and order a coffee, bowl of water and, what turns out to be,  a soggy croissant . These arrive and are paid for.  Angus finds the croissant to be a disappointment a mere 4/10. Sophie thinks it's ravishingly wonderful.


This article about policing in Camden, NJ was intriguing : https://reason.com/2014/10/23/how-cops-are-beating-crime-in-americas-p/

The dentist in London is now open. Unfortunately Angus can't get to them because 1) there are no flights and 2 ) the UK has belatedly imposed a 14 day quarantine on anyone entering the country. France has done the same for arrivals from the UK so a trip back would be quite a lengthy affair. The check in at reception is now described as a ' patient journey ' which sounds truly weird.

·   We will contact you prior to your appointment for a pre-appointment screening that will include updating your medical history and answering a brief coronavirus questionnaire.   We kindly ask you to:

i)                    Attend the appointment alone and bring only essential items with you.
ii)                  Arrive wearing a face covering.
iii)                Arrive a maximum of ten minutes before the appointment time.
iv)                Use the hand sanitiser on arrival.
v)                  Complete the brief coronavirus questionnaire again.

·         Your temperature will be taken with a contactless thermometer on arrival to ensure that you do not have a fever.

·         We plan to take you straight to the treatment room, if at all possible.

·         We have staggered our appointment books to minimise cross over with other patients.

·         As you enter the treatment room you will be asked to place your loose belongings, such as your coat and bag, into a clean box.

·         Once you are in the chair, we will ask you to use an antimicrobial mouthwash.

·         We will be wearing enhanced levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  This will include masks appropriate for the procedure, long sleeved gowns and a visor.

·         We have installed HEPA air filtration units in each of the treatment rooms and these have a UV-C light that is viricidal.  We will be allowing increased time between patients in each treatment room to allow time for aerosols to settle and the room to be recleaned.

We hope that it goes without saying but we plan to care for you in our normal considerate, careful, kind and respectful manner.


8 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Tinned fruit and a 4/10 croissant. Not a good start to the day.
And is the the end of the dreaded dentist's waiting room? So many childhood memories of trying to comprehend the cartoons in Punch while listening to the sound of the drill through the thin wall...
Cheers, Gail.

Lisa in France said...

Gail has a point, but I am not sure which is worse, the waiting room or the "journey". I felt pride for my home state of New Jersey when I read about what they've accomplished in Camden. It appears this is what they are now going to do with the Minneapolis police department. I hope people take the time to read and understand, as "dismantle" and "defund" may sound somewhat alarming. Very sorry about the soggy croissant, but at least it is a step back in the right direction.

Coppa's girl said...

Had to smile at the instructions from the dentist. You'll be forgiven for not wanting to spend a month in quarantine, so what a good excuse not to make an appointment!
Inca says that a soggy 4/10 croissant is better than no croissant, and would agree with Sophie's verdict!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Dentists may be among those whose business takes a big downturn... and as I haven't seen a piece of fruit in three weeks, I'd be tempted by the Copacabana. (it's a not going out and no online shopping in Dunoon thing. Back in Edin next week. Will live on fruit for the first five days..!) YAM xx

Camille said...

Discovered there are no longer whining drill sounds involved when visiting my fresh faced and newly minted dentist. He replaced one of my old fillings last week using a laser drill. There were quiet little pop,pop,pops instead of disconcerting and shrill whirring noises. It was wonderful and fast! They practiced strict Covid procedures but my goodness, nothing akin to your dentist in the UK! Are there no dentists in France you could entrust to the care of your choppers?

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

A sister in Virginia just went through the Dentist list....must be International.

Hailey and Zaphod and their Lady said...

Still waiting to hear what my dentist and optometrist require.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

The list for the dental office looks like ours. Except we aren't asking patients to put their belongings in a box. On the personal side, we couldn't even have a "birthday celebration" in our office because our break-room isn't big enough for all of us, because we keep our distance from one another. So there was no lunch, and no cake. Too bad for me, the birthday girl. Next year! maybe.....