Bristol Chiropractor

Ian Willmott - The Bristol Based McTimoney Chiropractor

COVID 19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Recent government guidance has now permitted the treatment of non-emergency cases within the chiropractic sector so please read carefully the below details on what changes you will expect to see upon your next appointment both with your treatment and your practitioner and also your own roles and responsibilities.

Patient and practitioner safety is paramount, so in order to achieve this new measures and additional precautions have been implemented.

Know the signs and symptoms

Please do not book an appointment or attend an already booked appointment if you have any of the following signs or symptoms within the last 14 days:

Most common symptons

  • Fever
  • Dry cough
  • Tiredness

Less common symptoms

  • Severe, flu-like aches and pains
  • Sore throat
  • Diarrhoea
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Loss of taste or smell
  • A rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Loss of speech or movement

Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms.  Always call before visiting your doctor or health facility. 

What changes can I expect going forward?

  • Before an appointment is confirmed a triage assessment will take place over the phone. Questions will include disclosure of any previous Covid 19 signs or symptoms, whether you are shielding or caring for a shielding person. The outcome of this tele-consultation will determine if a patient can then visit the clinic or not.
  • Upon arrival hand sanitiser will be provided and your temperature will be taken. If your temperature is above 37.8 degrees celsius, treatment will be refused. Covid 19 testing and isolation measures as per government guidelines should then be followed. If your temperature is normal, a second triage assessment will then take place before any treatment can commence and you will be invited to read and sign the clinic Covid 19 risk assessment, disclosure and consent form.
  • Your practitioner will be in appropriate PPE (mask, apron andgloves) which will be discarded after each patient. You must wear a face mask (one can be provided at a cost of £1 if you do not have your own) and also remove as many outer layers of clothing as practical before coming into the clinic. Please wear sports or loose fitting clothing for your treatment.
  • Please attend your appointment alone unless absolutely necessary (child care etc) and keep to your appointment time. Lateness will result in cancellation of the appointment and you will still be charged for the time.
  • The clinic will deep cleaned in between patients. Please try not to use the toilet unless absolutely necessary.
  • To reduce the risk of viral load, treatment times may be shorter than usual to minimise the time a chiropractor will be in contact with a patient.
  • These changes are subject to change as we continue to monitor government guidance.

These are truly unprecedented times and we thank you for your patience.