Fresh reassurance about safety of attending appointments

With London being placed in Tier 2 Covid restrictions, I thought I would give you fresh assurance about attending hospital and my private clinic for treatment. 

The safety protocols at The Royal Marsden Hospital and for my private clinics are extremely thorough, and patients can feel fully confident about attending appointments.

The importance of maintaining treatments was highlighted last week in a report pointing out that 25 million GP appointments have been lost to the pandemic.

Cancer Research UK said that since March more than 350,000 people who would normally have been urgently referred to hospital had not been.

There are fears that this could result in as many as an extra 35,000 deaths.

Since the pandemic began, I have offered patients a range of alternatives for consultations such as telephone, video or face to face.

Importance of maintaining cancer treatment

However attendance for treatment is vital because the risk of ignoring a condition will allow it to progress and further damage health.

Since the lockdown eased in the summer, it has been gratifying to see more patients return to resume treatments. My hope is that this will continue despite the recent tightening of restrictions in London.

Here are the key points of the safety procedures at both The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Harley Street Clinic, where I see private patients.

• Any COVID patients are treated entirely separately well away from areas used by visiting outpatients.
• Both establishments have re-doubled efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients. For example, all members of the public have their temperature checked on arrival. More information about procedures at The Royal Marsden is available here.
• All staff involved in patient-facing roles undergo strict screening procedures, and social distancing, masks and stringent hygiene rules are in place for every patient visit including the wearing of surgical masks by staff. 
• These also include a thorough cleaning of equipment and the consultation room before each patient arrives.

Here is a link to a video about what to expect on a visit to the Harley Street Clinic or other HCA UK establishment.  https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/your-safety-comes-first

The current times are indeed unprecedented but one thing has remained constant – our dedication to helping patients as safely as possible. We are confident that the procedures that have been put in place mean that patients can have every confidence about attending appointments for consultations or treatment.

 

For more information about Prof Nutting's work please visit the CV page, get in touch or arrange a consultation.