What to expect

Our approach and what is involved in the initial assessment.

COVID-19 safety measures

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant we have had to review our processes and introduce a range of new measures to keep you safe when visiting us for treatment.

Here’s what you can now expect:

Triage

Before we see you for treatment, we will phone you and ask you a series of questions so we can highlight any risk factors that may make you more vulnerable to COVID-19.

We will explain any risks associated with face to face treatment and then, together, we will decide whether face to face treatment is right for you at this moment in time.

If it is, we will ask you to give informed consent and an appointment will be booked.

What will happen when you arrive for your appointment

If you, or someone in your household, feels unwell on the day of your appointment, you should stay at home. There will be no cancellation charge for any COVID-19 related reason.

If you feel physically normal, when you arrive for your appointment, please wait in your car. If you have walked or been given a lift, please wait under the entrance porch. One of our team will phone you on your mobile at the time of your appointment and ask you some COVID-19 screening questions. If your answers are OK, we will ask you to come to the front door where we will meet you and take your temperature.

Please allow us to open doors for you and only bring essential personal items into the hospital.

Wherever possible, please attend your appointment alone. If you need a carer to assist you, they will also have to be screened on arrival and wear a mask, which can be homemade. While you are having treatment, your carer should wait in the designated seating area in reception.

Measures for social distancing

To maintain a safe distance, we’ve had to make some changes. When you enter the building, you will notice a hand sanitiser station which we will ask you to use when you enter and leave the building.

You will see a protective screen at reception and 2m markers to help you keep a safe distance from others.

Where possible, close contact of less than 2m will be limited to a maximum of 15 minutes within any treatment session.

We’ve reduced the number of appointments so there will be fewer people around.

What to do if you are having hydrotherapy

We’ve had to introduce even more safety measures for patients having hydrotherapy.

To keep you as safe as possible, we will assign you a changing room for your personal use before and after your hydro session. We will also you to clean the bench before and after use with the cleaning spray and disposable paper towel provided.

Lockers are not available so please leave valuables at home and your clothes in your changing room.

Before entering the pool, you will be asked to shower thoroughly using soap/shower gel - you should use the shower in the changing room.

Long hair must be tied back to keep it out of the water. Hairdryers will not be available.

To maintain a safe distance, wherever possible, physiotherapists will direct sessions from the poolside. If close contact is required in the water, you and your therapist may need to wear face masks.

If you normally have a shower after hydrotherapy, we will ask you to do this at home.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Your physiotherapist will wear a mask, a disposable apron and gloves during your dry land treatment. In the pool, they may wear a mask when in close contact and a visor to help keep the mask dry.

Please bring your own mask or face covering and do not wear gloves.

Enhanced cleaning regimes

Physios will regularly wash their hands during and between contact with you.

In between patients, we will clean all plinths, chairs and equipment such as floats. The pool changing rooms will be cleaned after every third patient. If you use the changing rooms, we will ask you to clean the bench before and after use.

Although we have always had very high standards of cleanliness, our housekeeping team is now spending even more time cleaning clinical areas.

How to pay

We are not currently accepting cash so, if you can, please pay for your treatment by online banking or by phone.

The COVID-19 safety measures have been incorporated into our normal processes which remain as follows:

Your appointment

Your first appointment will be with a physiotherapist. The physiotherapist will carry out a full assessment and physical examination to establish the cause and nature of your condition.

From this assessment, we will work to clinically reason and diagnose the problem, ensuring you gain as much understanding of the condition as possible. We will assess your needs and work with you to design an individual treatment programme that works for you.

Even if another professional has diagnosed you with a particular condition, we will still need to carry out our own assessment. This is because we relate your assessment directly to the treatment that we can provide.

If you have visited us before, if there has been a change in your condition or you are coming to see us for a different problem, we will need to assess you.

The physical examination

Your physiotherapist will want to look at the area of your body that is causing you problems so you may need to remove some of your clothes. You will not be asked to remove any more clothing than is necessary.

If you think a certain movement or activity is causing your problem, your physiotherapist may want to see you demonstrate it.

What to wear

Wear comfortable clothing so you can move freely. Trainers, a loose top and shorts or a tracksuit are ideal.

Your treatment programme

Once the physiotherapist has assessed you, we will discuss the various treatment options available that may be beneficial. Your progress will regularly be reviewed to ensure the treatment is being effective and will be modified as required. In most cases, you will also be given a home exercise programme to complement the treatment sessions.

We will regularly review your progress and, if required, will adjust the treatment programme so that you meet your goals.

Doctor's referral

You do not need a doctor's referral to make an appointment with us. However, with your consent, if it is necessary, we may liaise with your GP or consultant during the assessment and treatment process.

At your first consultation, we will assess your needs and work with you to design a treatment programme.