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.