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Pre-Appointment Reading
COVID-19 INFORMATION
PLEASE READ BEFORE ATTENDING YOUR APPOINTMENT
Lockdown has now been relaxed sufficiently and massage therapists have been given permission by the Government to return.
There will be quite a few changes in place, both before and during each appointment, to help ensure the safety of both clients and practitioners.
Before you leave your home, please check your temperature, and consider if you are experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms, including:
- A recent onset of a new, continuous cough
- A high temperature (typically over 37.8℃)
- A loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell
If yes to any of those questions, please contact us immediately to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
- Every client attending their first appointment with Vital Massage Therapy post-lockdown is asked to complete our updated Client Consultation Form, which you will be prompted to fill it in after completing your online booking.
- Every client will also be asked to complete a new Covid-19 Screening form ahead of EVERY appointment for the foreseeable future, this is available on the website and should be completed 24 hours prior to your appointment. If you are considered a ‘vulnerable’ client, it may not be possible to work with you at this time. However, I will be in touch with you directly to discuss this with you individually to risk assess you on a case by case basis.
- Please wear a face covering when entering and leaving the building, and during the massage.
- Please bring your own water.
- Please wear easy to remove clothes and keep jewellery to a minimum. You will be given a container in which to put your possessions and clothes when you undress. This box will be fully cleaned and sanitised between clients.
- If you are a key worker, particularly a frontline member of NHS staff, please change out of your work clothes and shower before attending your appointment.
- Please plan to arrive at the time of your appointment, please call me on 07810301198 when you have arrived and I will meet you outside the building.
- When you arrive, please go straight to the toilet to wash your hands thoroughly.
- I will be wearing the appropriate level of PPE – personal protective equipment – to work with you. At the current time this is a visor and face mask.
- The massage will continue as per usual however I would ask you to keep conversation to a minimum to avoid any possible droplet formation.
- When the massage is over, leave all the linens on the table and do not fold up or help to tidy.
- When the appointment is complete, we recommend you revisit the bathroom and wash your hands again, or at least use the hand sanitiser provided just outside the room. Again, please wear a face covering when entering and leaving the building.
- Payment should ideally be made either at the time of online booking to avoid touching the card machine or cash. Please note that there has been an annual increase in my prices. The charge is now £40 for a 60 minute massage.
- There will be at least a 30 minute gap between clients, to enable disinfection of the practice room, table, equipment, hallway and bathroom etc.
COVID-19 Policy
This policy outlines some of the key measures I have taken to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19). Please note the content may be subject to change.
Adhering to guidelines
Throughout the pandemic, I will be following guidelines issued by the government, NHS, other relevant authorities and my professional association, the Federation of Holistic Therapists, regarding safe and hygienic practice and the use of any personal protective equipment (PPE).
COVID-19 Risk Assessment
I have carried out a full risk assessment, in line with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in order to:
- identify what work activity or situations might cause transmission of the virus;
- think about who could be at risk;
- decide how likely it is that someone could be exposed;
- and to act to remove the activity or situation, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk.
Health screening
Prior to seeing any of my clients, I will be:
- monitoring my own health and deferring treatments if I have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19.
- contacting my clients 24 hours in advance and deferring any treatments if: they have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19; are clinically extremely vulnerable and shielding; anyone in their household has COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19; they have been in close contact with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days; they have been contacted by the NHS Test and Trace Service and told to self isolate.
- asking my clients to call and cancel and defer treatment on the morning of their appointment if they have a temperature or other symptoms of COVID-19.
Enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures
I have introduced enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures between clients, which includes washing and disinfecting any non-porous surfaces and therapy equipment, such as chairs and couches, and replacing any porous or single-use items, such as towels and couch roll. Strict personal hygiene measures will also be adhered to, including regular handwashing/ sanitising.
Adapting or restricting treatments
It may be necessary for me to adapt or restrict certain treatments, in order to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and/or protect my clients’ health and safety. Any clients likely to be impacted will be advised as soon as possible.
Maintaining social distancing
Please note that while many treatments involve close contact, I will be observing social distancing measures wherever possible. This might include, for example, maintaining an appropriate distance during the consultation process, and when arriving and leaving for an appointment.
Cancellations policy
If a treatment is cancelled or deferred at short notice because my client has COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19, any standard cancellation fees will be waivered. The client will be asked to kindly confirm in writing that their appointment has been cancelled or deferred because they have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19.
For more information…
I am happy to be contacted to discuss any aspect of your treatment during this time. Please contact me at: Vital Massage Therapy
Name: Emma Costantino
Date: 1/8/20