Lockdown 2 and what it means for Opticians

The 2nd national lockdown is due to start from midnight on the 5th of November (not quite the fireworks that communities in England had hoped for!) with all non essential retail needing to be closed to the general public. So where does this leave Opticians? And what about your eyecare?

Thankfully, Opticians are classed as a medical service so many will remain open throughout the 4 week lockdown from 5th November - 2nd December.

With the announcement Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also stated that manufacturers can remain open so if you need new glasses or already have them on order then the services should not be affected.

Here at Clark Family Eyecare we installed and became familiar with a lot of new procedures from the 1st lockdown in the Spring/Summer, and so looking after the safety of our patients and team has become 2nd nature. If you have not visited us for a while our practice may look a little different with the installation of sneeze screens and a locked door system.

Here's the low down on just some of the things you can expect from the team at Clark Family Eyecare:

✔ Locked door, by appointment only policy. This means you will only be able to enter the practice by prior appointment booked over the telephone, online or via messenger. If you require an urgent appointment it’s always best to phone us.

If you come to the door with out an appointment we will not be able to see you, instead we will ask you to call us to make an appointment. If you require a repair or an adjustment please call us first. Whilst this can often be a quick job it will mean we will also have to make additional time for disinfection of the equipment we have used and surfaces whilst taking a note of your details for track and trace purposes.

✔ Please attend your appointment alone.

We are asking all our patients to attend their appointment alone. The only exception will be for children or patients that require a carer to be present.

✔ Extended examination times. This means that we are able maintain a minimum number of people in practice and extend our cleaning routine to ensure all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between clients. Machinery, frames, surfaces and touch points including chairs are cleaned before and after each client.

✔ Where possible you will receive a phone call the day before your appointment to ensure good health.

✔ Your temperature will be taken upon arrival in the practice.

✔Our team will be wearing PPE at all times and clients attending appointment are encouraged to wear a mask for the duration of their appointment.

✔ We have the track and trace QR code displayed in the reception area for all clients to use, however our appointment only system also provides a track and trace system should we need to use it.

✔ For repeat treatments such as lid hygiene, eye drops, vitamin supplements, anti fog wipes and spectacle solutions you are encouraged to purchase through our website or call us to pay over the phone. Postage or hand delivery (with in the local area) can be arranged.

We are working on a number of additional measures to ensure that your eyecare does not suffer at the hands of COVID-19 and we encourage any one with vision changes, concerns and history of eye conditions to seek our clinical guidance.

More information on how we are keeping you safe can be found on our website www.clarkeyecare.co.uk/keeping-you-safe

Our main focus has always been to look after our customers and now more than ever we intend to continue this at our highest possible standard.