Essential services during the coronavirus pandemic: We are here to help
The Coronavirus is really starting to hurt many families and small businesses right now.
We have seen the shutdown of gyms, social clubs and "non-essential services" as a measure to control the spread of COVID-19 and the Coronavirus.
We are classed as an essential service
The question I have been asked by many clients is how come you can still open at the moment when so many other businesses are being forced to close?
Well then answer is simply that Podiatry is an Essential Service.
What is an essential service?
An essential service is any service that is deemed by the Government to be required for the normal continuation of society.
Presently, the Australian government has released very strict guidelines on what businesses and services can operate during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The reason the government is doing this is two-fold:
- to slow the spread fo the Coronavirus and reduce the impact on the health services and
- to make sure the businesses that are remaining open, have very strict systems and processes surrounding infection control.
Why is Podiatry an essential service?
Some people only know Podiatrists as a profession that helps people with cutting their toenails.
That and the foot fungus of course! ;)
At Complete Podiatry, we help build amazing lives from the feet up by:
- Keeping people out of Doctors practices where sick people may be waiting for help from their GP
- Helping to keep clients out of the hospital by assisting with musculoskeletal injuries, preventing foot complications associated with conditions like diabetes and circulation problems
- Performing ingrown nail surgeries in our clinics to avoid hospital admissions
- Keeping clients independent and living safely in their own homes
- Helping clients keep fit and active and doing the exercises they need to keep them healthy
So you can start to see how we provide and 'essential service' right?
Social distancing at Complete podiatry
Now, even though we are an essential service and can remain open, we are still doing everything we can to reduce the risk for our clients in the clinic.
Online consultations
We are now able to offer our expert advice and care online for those clients who can not come into the clinic for one reason or another.
If you are stuck at work, live interstate of in self-quarantine, we'll be there to help.
Large welcome rooms
Our welcome rooms are large and our seating configurations have been reorganised to allow the appropriate 4 square metre area for all our clients to be seated safely away from other clients and our admin team.
1 Podiatrist, 1 client
We have rearranged our clinic appointments to make sure there are only one Podiatrist and one client in the clinic at any time.
This will help to further reduce the risk of cross-contamination by reducing the numbers of people in our clinics and reduce your risk of coming into contact with anyone else.
Large treatment rooms
We a bit of elbow room when we care for clients so our treatment rooms are large.
We have reorganised our seating configurations in our treatment rooms for all our clients to be seated safely away from other clients and our admin team and to allow the appropriate 4 square meter area.
No appointment cards
The science about Coronavirs tells us that it can survive on flat surfaces so we are currently avoiding handing out appointment cards to our clients as a precaution.
We always send a text message 48 hours before your appointment as a courtesy to re-confirm your appointment time.
If you don't use a mobile phone, we will be happy to call you to re-confirm your time for you.
No signing of forms or receipts
For the time being, we are no longer requesting that our clients sign their HICPAS forms to reduce one more potential source of cross-contamination.
Online forms
All of our new clients will be familiar with the new client profile form we ask everyone to fill out.
We will now be encouraging all our new clients to fill out this form online
One last thing...
Should you need any help during this difficult time, please do not hesitate to reach out.
This can be a very isolating time for many people especially with a need to stay indoors so, remember us if you need to talk.
Anthony Robinson
Director of Complete Podiatry