Keeping MYA Patients Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic

What is MYA's COVID-19 policy?

On the 19th July 2021 there will be an official change in COVID-19 regulations for the general public, it is important to note that there is no change for Healthcare providers. The current COVID-19 restrictions and action plans continue until further notice.

Please attend appointments alone to reduce COVID-19 risk and wear a face mask to the MYA clinical hubs to ensure you are permitted entry. Please note COVID-19 vaccinations must not be within 1 week of your procedure date or 72 hours before clinic attendance. Contact telephone number to be added. Please call us on 03330 14 10 14 or email patientqueries@mya.co.uk if you need to reschedule your appointment.

We are sharing the enhanced safety measures that have been put in place to ensure that patients are fully informed before having their procedure with MYA. We want patients to feel reassured that we are doing everything possible to keep them safe and providing them with the highest level of care. Keeping our staff and patients safe is our main priority.

Enhanced safety measures

• Social distancing
  Social distancing floor markers and signs are visible in clinics to mark pathways and remind staff and patients to remain 2 meters apart. Appointments are staggered to reduce patient flow, ensuring social distancing is maintained. Depending on the size of the waiting room in each clinic, this may necessitate a ‘one in, one out’ for patients. 
  
  Patients must attend appointments alone as we are not permitting chaperones (relatives/friends/escorts) onto our premises. Chaperones will not be allowed to attend the hospital and may be asked to remain in their vehicle or return to collect. For exceptions to this, please speak to a MYA member of staff.

• PPE
  MYA staff will be wearing PPE including gloves, aprons and gowns, masks, and visors. This is to protect our patients and themselves.

• Hygiene
  MYA staff follow strict hand hygiene guidelines. Hand washing is performed immediately before direct patient contact and any activity that potentially results in hands becoming contaminated. We ask our patients to wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser as soon as they enter the clinic.

• Enhanced cleaning
  Based on the transferable nature of COVID-19, enhanced disinfecting services in clinical and communal spaces are carried out between each patient and throughout the day. Fewer appointments are available due to the enhanced cleaning taking place between each patient.

Keeping patients safe pre-operatively

• Providing eConsults
  MYA have carried out over 6,000 eConsults, gaining a vast amount of experience used to improve our patient experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have carried out surgeon eConsults (as part of a multi-stage consent process) alongside nursing ePre-operative assessments. Patients are now only required to attend a clinic setting on one occasion before their surgery. During this visit they will meet their surgeon for a physical assessment and meet the nurse for a vitals appointment (for taking temperature, height, weight, blood pressure, pre-op photos and blood tests). Minimising the in-person touchpoints between patients and staff is crucial to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19. It’s become apparent that this technology-first approach has been a success with our patients and is here to stay.

• Enhanced Patient Screening
  Additional MYA suitability criteria must be met for patients to be considered for surgery. Additional restrictions include, but are not limited, to respiratory conditions that present a higher risk to developing COVID-19, and the age profile of patients based on COVID-19 risk factors.

• COVID-19 testing
  Molecular testing (a viral PCR swab) is taken from the nose/throat to identify people with the virus. Patients must have a negative PCR test 72-48 hours before admission to hospital.

• Isolation Periods
  Patients are instructed to isolate pre-operatively and must be asymptomatic (free of symptoms) during the period of isolation and on admission to hospital. Patients will also need an appropriate period of isolation post-operatively to allow them time to recover from surgery.

Safety measures in the clinic or hospital

• Travelling & arrival at your MYA clinical hub
  Patients are asked not to arrive early for their appointment time. Patients may be required to wait outside the clinic until they are ready to be seen. Patients are asked to travel to the clinic/hospital in a private vehicle and self-drive if possible.

• Face masks must be worn
  To help keep you and others safe, please arrive at the clinic or hospital wearing a face mask or covering.
  
  

• Hand sanitiser
  On arrival, patients will be asked to use the hand sanitizer provided or wash their hands with liquid soap.

• Temperature check
  On entry to the clinic and prior to treatment/attending consultation rooms, temperature screening will be carried out using non-touch thermometers or tympanic (ear) thermometers. Patients with a temperature of 37.8 ◦C or above, or with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will not be admitted to a clinic or hospital setting.

Please note that this is a simple overview of the various steps and precautions MYA have put in place to ensure staff and patient safety. More detailed instructions will be provided to you during your initial eConsult and before attending a MYA clinical hub. For more information, please read our downloadable PDF