During this challenging time period when we are working to understand and contain the COVID-19, Coronavirus, we are closely monitoring the situation at our practices and taking proactive steps as an organization to follow recommended guidelines and maintain the health and wellbeing of our patients, practitioners and staff. In addition we are actively looking at and evaluating the natural remedies and lifestyle advice that might help patients.
There are many factors that generally effect susceptibility to infections and the severity of symptoms that individuals develop. Simple things like attending to a positive mental attitude, good diet, regular exercise and sleep may each effect our constitution. While attending to an individual's constitution has not been a particular focus for conventional medicine, we feel this is a valuable contribution to wellbeing.
We appreciate some patients will feel isolated and vulnerable. As such we want to personally reach out and provide an update on how we can help and what actions The Natural Practice is taking as we navigate through this together. There is a huge amount of learning and sharing of experience, nationally and internationally, between different holistic/complementary/alternative doctors and practitioners. We will keep tapping into and evaluating these and where appropriate share information about them.
Our clinics remain open and fully operational subject to practitioner and staff availability. We understand that some patients would prefer not to travel and for some of the treatments we offer you will have to reschedule by calling the practice. For other treatments we have a lot of experience working on the phone and with video calls that we have used for consultation for many years and find very useful. We are therefore extending our telemedicine consultation approaches and can work with you if you require any help with the setting up of a Skype or Zoom consultation; just call or email reception for more information:
- We provide Skype and phone consultations. Other telecommunication options, such as Zoom and Facetime are available also.
- We give advice via email for acute conditions and are committed to continuing to support existing patients and their families.
As the dispensary team will prioritise sending out acute prescriptions if you have routine repeats to order please submit these with as much notice as possible preferably by email to dispensary@thenaturalpractice.com.
Additional steps we are taking at the clinic premises include:
- Cleaning common areas regularly and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces
- Providing hand washing facilities and hand sanitizer throughout the practice
- Encouraging practitioners and employees to closely monitor their health and stay at home if they or someone in their household is sick
For coping with anxiety related to Coronovirus please read Dr Katya's article here.
We understand and share in the shock of this pandemic and recognise that such an event can alter how we think about and look after ourselves and others at both an individual and community level.
Remember, if you develop any symptoms, please DO NOT come to the practice, but DO telephone or email for advice.
Kind regards,
Dr David Owen, Dr Patricia Ridsdale, Dr Katya Mishanina and other doctors and practitioners at The Natural Practice