Put your best foot forward with Walk Right Podiatry

After several months of lockdown, Walk Right Podiatry on Drake Street, Rochdale, has now reopened with an updated patient experience.

Having implemented the government’s Covid secure guidelines, staff at Walk Right were thrilled to reopen in June, after closing its doors for the first time in 14 years due to the pandemic.

As of writing, almost all of Walk Right’s usual services are available again - from routine podiatry and chiropody, to ingrown toenail surgery, verruca needling therapy, biomechanics and more.

 

 

Rebecca Schofield from Walk Right said: “On 23 March, with a heavy heart, we had to temporarily close our clinic doors for the first time in 14 years. Whilst we look after a wide range of people, many of our patients are older and would go on to be asked to shield to protect themselves from COVID-19, so we knew it was the right thing to do for our patients, our team and the community as a whole. Later that day, the official lockdown was announced.

“Like the vast majority of businesses, we weren’t sure just how long we would be closed for, but we had to work around the advice we received from our professional bodies.

“This meant being unable to see patients who regularly attend every six weeks, but still being on hand to support with advice and emergency appointments for those with limb threatening conditions - particularly given that NHS resources were being diverted to other critical services.

“It would be 10 weeks until we were able to open our doors again, not entirely, but to a traffic light system of red and amber patients to begin with. Much has changed in that time and new guidelines from the UK Government, the Health Care and Professions Council and the College of Podiatry has changed when and how we can provide services to our patients.

“We used this time to reflect on the current situation, learn how our roles would change for the better and grow our team to adapt to the changes ahead, and we were thrilled to be able to open our doors again at the beginning of June with an updated patient experience.”

 

 

The COVID secure changes implemented

Walk Right has implemented not only government guidelines, but also a number of additional steps as instructed by its professional body.

This includes:

• Pre-screening all patients before an appointment is placed
• Staggered appointments to reduce the number of patients on site or coming into contact with each other
• A new layout in reception with a screen, seating placed two metres apart and wall-mounted sanitiser
• Asking all patients to attend alone where possible and to not arrive too early to appointments
• Patients will be asked to wear a face covering upon entering and use the wall-mounted sanitiser before entering the clinic rooms
• Staff are routinely screened and each podiatrist will be wearing personal protective equipment, consisting of a face mask, face shield or safety glasses, single-use aprons and latex or nitrile gloves, in addition to dtandard safety measures
• Payment for appointments and booking future appointments are now to be made at reception
• Transparent screens and floor tape have been introduced in every clinic room to help promote safe distancing between patient and podiatrist, alongside continued use of an air purifying system
• More detailed cleaning routines between patients have been implemented, by reducing the number of available appointments in a day

Mr Lomas added: “It’s been a challenging time for everyone, each in different ways, but with the lockdown gradually easing and a sense of normality not too far away, we’re firmly looking to the future and wishing everyone in the Rochdale borough the very best going forward in 2020 and beyond.”

Book your appointment

As a private clinic you do not need a GP referral to attend and you can find full details of Walk Right’s services, as well as booking your appointment, via the website or contact reception by telephone on 01706 655 110.

• www.walk-right.co.uk