COVID-19: A statement of our current position

Update: Saturday 18th July (Sue)

As things return more to normal (as normal as they can be during a global pandemic!) I think this will be the last time I update this blog post. Everything will now be incorporated in the body of this website, and I’ve created a brand new blog post with my latest safety and hygiene protocols, which you can find by clicking here. I’ve done a few trial treatments this week and they’ve gone really well, so I’ve made a few practical changes which are covered in the new post.

I’m very much hoping to be able to return to doing Indian Head Massages (as combo treatments, still not as a stand-alone offering) from 1st August. I’m just awaiting confirmation. This poses a logistical challenge given the ’45 minutes in the room’ rule, so I’m going to have to do the Indian Head Massage in another room for now, but it’s only next door to mine so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Also because of my allocated treatment slots and the need to allow at least 30 minutes between clients to clean and air my room, these combined treatments will only be available at certain times.  I’m still not quite ready to go back to doing the facial reflexology element of the Bipolar Reflex Therapy though.

Sue x

Update: Friday 10th July (Sue)

(edited Wednesday 15th July)

I’ve had the green light from the Association of Reflexologists to be able to start foot Reflexology treatments from Monday. I’ve also just seen that I can return to Reiki from the same date, as long as I avoid touching faces! It may be some time before I can return to Indian Head Massage and Facial Reflexology though. I’ll keep updating this blog post as and when I have news on these other therapies. Inevitably things are going to change in order for me to be Covid-secure, and as inspections from our local Public Health department are always a possibility there isn’t any wriggle room (not that I’d want there to be because our mutual safety has to be a priority right now). For now then, these are the changes that will be in place when I reopen:

New working hours

I will be seeing a maximum of four clients per day Monday to Friday, and two on Saturday morning (should there be demand). This is to allow time for me to thoroughly clean my room between clients, and to avoid client crossover in the building. If you do arrive at the same time as someone else is near the door, obviously usual social distancing rules apply.

For the time being my new appointment slots will be as follows:

• Monday        11am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
• Tuesday        2pm, 4pm, 5.30pm, 7pm
• Wednesday   11am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
• Thursday       11am, 2pm, 5.30pm, 7pm
• Friday            11am, 2pm, 4pm, 5.30pm
• Saturday        10.30am, 12 noon

Please come alone to your appointments. I have a maximum capacity of two people in my room (including me!) at any one time and our waiting room will be closed for the time being.

Before your session

I will arrange a time to contact you less than 24 hours before your appointment to complete a risk assessment (at the moment what seems to work best is if clients park up 10 minutes early and I call then, it’s only a 5 minute job). If anything changes between then and your appointment time, you must let me know (and obviously I promise to let you know too!). If you need to cancel as a direct result of Covid-19, my usual cancellation terms won’t apply.

I will no longer be accepting cash payments so all payments must be made by bank transfer in advance of your session (or at the very least before you leave my therapy room). This has always been the case, but I’ve not always enforced it because I’ve been happy to chase payments retrospectively if necessary. Because of all of the extra paperwork and cleaning required at the moment, I won’t have time to do this. My bank details are:

Susan P Haynes      sort code: 40 47 87     account no: 61692607

When you arrive

You won’t be able to access the building before your appointment time (or more than 5 minutes after) because our waiting room will be closed for the foreseeable future and we are working very hard to ensure that clients don’t arrive or leave at the same time. For this reason please arrive at your exact appointment time and press my buzzer as usual. I will meet you at the front door and let you in so you don’t have to use the door handle.

Our toilet facilities will also be unavailable to clients except in emergencies. If use of the loo is unavoidable, please let me know so I can clean it immediately after you.

Please sanitise your hands at the sanitiser station just inside the front door while I walk through to my room.

There will be a lidded box outside my door for you to place your shoes, bags and outdoor clothing in. Please replace the lid firmly after you have put your belongings in it. This box will be cleaned between every client. The floor between the box and my therapy couch will also be cleaned between every client. Please bring your valuables into the room with you and place in the box provided. This will also be sanitised between every client. You are welcome to bring your own face covering/mask, but there will be a mask waiting for you in a pink and white striped bag outside my door should you wish to use it. If you’re not already wearing a face covering at this point, please sanitise your hands, put your face covering on and then sanitise your hands again. My door will be open so please feel free to walk in and get yourself comfortable on the couch at this point.

During your treatment

It has been made very clear that our first line of defence is ventilation and time, the second is PPE. For this reason my window will have to remain open at all times (the heating will be on as and when necessary but please wrap up warm on colder days) and your time in my therapy room will be limited to 45 minutes. I’m sure you appreciate the extra costs and time involved with these new procedures and hope that you’ll be happy to continue to pay my hourly charge. Other therapists are increasing their charges to cover the extra costs and admin time, but as I increased mine just before lockdown I’m happy not to raise them further for the time being.

I have been advised by the Association of Reflexologists to wear a face covering while treating and mandated by the Government to wear a visor, so I will be wearing both (because I don’t believe that the visor alone provides you with adequate protection). I’ll also be wearing a uniform that will only have been worn inside my room. The clothes and shoes I arrive to clinic in will also be removed before I enter and sealed in a plastic box.

I have done extensive research on the most suitable cleaning products to use and everything that you come into contact with once you walk into my therapy room will have been sanitised with an anti-viral cleaner or washed at 60 degrees with biological powder. I have invested in wipeable pillow cases and individual muslin squares (so your legs don’t stick to my couch on hot days!) but blankets and other soft furnishings will be stowed away for the time being. I’ve also been advised not to suggest you bring your own blankets for now.

I know that some of you like to chat during your sessions but it’s going to be less possible for the time being; partly because of the face coverings but also because keeping chat to a minimum is one of the recommendations for reducing risk. I’m hoping that when we speak to complete your risk assessment before your appointment you’ll be able to give me all of your news then.

After your session

Please bring your own water bottle because I won’t be able to provide you with a drink after your session. Single use plastic cups are the only option available to me and I’m not happy about the environmental impact of those!

We’ll need to book your next session in promptly to maximise your treatment time, so please have an idea of when you’d like to come next before you arrive. You’ll need to bring your own pen if, like me, you still use a paper diary.

As you leave my room, please sanitise your hands, remove your face covering and pop it back into the bag and leave it where you found it (if you’ve used the one I’ve provided). Let me know when you’re ready to leave and I will let you out of the building.

If you absolutely need to use the loo, please let me know so that I can clean it after you.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing you again after all this time! x

Update: Thursday 9th July (Sue)

It seems that the lobbying has paid off and close contact services will be allowed to resume from Monday, so I’m cautiously optimistic that Reflexology at least will be included. The finer detail will be published by Government tomorrow and then sifted through by the Association of Reflexologists, who will give me the green light if it’s a go!  As it’s such short notice I’m not going to be ready by Monday (apart from anything else I have personal diary commitments) but I’m aiming to be able to ease myself back in towards the latter end of next week, or the start of the following week at the latest. Naturally this is a provisional plan until I receive final confirmation. If and when I do, I’ll be working through my clients list and getting in touch so please bear with me. There are a lot of you to contact!

Sue x

Update: Saturday 4th July (Sue)

Just a quick update following yesterday’s PM briefing. Apparently we will now find out sometime next week (no specific date has been given) when remaining businesses will be allowed to reopen. As soon as I have a reopening date I’ll be publishing it here. I’ll also begin contacting clients to make tentative appointments. As I’ve already mentioned here, I’ll be starting with those of you who have paid for sessions in advance and who have been patiently waiting to spend your credit! After that I’ll be contacting the rest of you. Once I’ve done that I’ll have more of an idea about if and when I’ll be able to take on any new clients. Hopefully see you soon x

Update: Thursday 25th June (Sue)

As you know, I thought that I was about to return to practice after the 4th of July. However after the Prime Minister’s statement on Tuesday June 23rd, it now seems that this is not the case and that the return of Reflexology and other holistic treatments is on hold for a while longer. Although it is not completely clear, my professional organisation, the Association of Reflexologists (AoR), understands that the Government will not revisit this situation until mid July with a date of return sometime in the future.

I’m sure you’re finding this as frustrating as I am. I would love to be back at work supporting you, and your health and wellbeing.

The AoR has already put in place guidance to reduce risk regarding Covid-19 which are in line with the Government Covid Secure guidelines. They are going to lobby Parliament regarding a review of this situation, and having a wealth of public reaction would really help them.

May I ask for your help in leaving a message of support for the return of Reflexology practice? You can email at clientfeedback@aor.org.uk.

Thank you so much.

Update: Tuesday 23rd June (Sue)

Just dropping by to give an update after today’s announcement by the PM (2 days early!). Naturally I haven’t had sight of the detailed Government briefing yet (nor have any of the professional associations I’ve been following) so this is still rather speculative, but it appears from my initial interpretation of the headlines that I won’t be reopening in early July as I’d hoped.  Massage parlours (ye gods I can’t believe that The Government doesn’t appreciate the connotations and actually used that phrase!) have been specifically mentioned as not being allowed to reopen yet. What I’m waiting for is clarity over whether reflexology clinics sit within this category. I should know more in the next day or two so please watch this space…

…in the meantime I’m giving serious consideration to the possibility of offering outdoor treatments at some point in July, given the social distancing reduction from 2m to 1m. I’ll be back soon with an update on the feasibility of this.

Update: Monday 15th June (Sue)

I’ve had a few clients contact me recently asking when I’ll be returning to work and I’d love to be able to give a definite answer. Like every other industry we have to wait until we’re given a date by the Government. The only decision that’s down to me is when I return after that date, and the good news is that I’m planning for this to be pretty much straight away!

Update: Friday 29th May (Sue)

It’s still looking like 4th July (which is a Saturday, so more likely Monday 6th) is going to be the earliest I can return to foot Reflexology (I’m not quite sure about Reiki and Indian Head Massage yet, and Facial Reflexology is going to be a long while off I think). Obviously I’m keeping abreast of the latest developments and any changes to that date will be reported here. For the time being I thought I’d write something about how things may look from 6th July onward, both in terms of appointments and new hygiene and safety protocols.

Appointments

Once I have a definite re-start date I’ll be taking appointment bookings. Priority will be given to the clients who had already paid for a session/sessions which they weren’t able to have because of lockdown. After that it’ll be a bit of a free-for-all!

For a while at least, all of the therapists at The Old Surgery will be staggering their appointments so that we don’t have clients arriving or leaving at the same time. This means that available appointment times will be a bit of a moving feast and may differ to what you’re used to. I will also need to allow 30 minutes between clients to air and sanitise my therapy room, so I won’t be able to see as many clients in a day. My opening hours will change as a consequence and I’ll let you know when they’ve been decided.

Our beautiful waiting room will be off limits for the duration so it’s essential that you arrive at your appointment time. You won’t be buzzed in if you arrive any earlier. The same goes for our lovely loo, unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you do need to use the loo, please let me know so that I can clean it after you. This is for everyone’s safety and means that we can all concentrate on therapising rather than cleaning everything down between every visitor.

There will be a bottle of hand sanitiser just inside the door for you to use on arrival.

New hygiene protocols

None of this is cast in stone at the moment, but it’s based on the latest guidance from the Association of Reflexologists and other professional bodies and if anything changes I’ll be providing updates here:

Risk assessments: every client will need to complete a risk assessment before their appointment. This is to minimise the risk to both of us and other clients. More details about how this will work to follow.

Outdoor clothing: A plastic box will be left outside my door for your shoes, bags and any outdoor clothing. Any valuables can be brought into the room in your hands and left in the tray I’ll be providing. Both will be sanitised between every client.

Face coverings: we will both be required to wear face coverings during your session. These will be provided by me and will be individually wrapped and left right outside my door. After you’ve removed all of your outdoor clothing and sealed it in the box, please use the hand sanitser and then put your face covering on, and then sanitise again. Please remove your face covering when you leave and drop it in the receptacle provided.

Taking your temperature: I’ve bough a non-contact thermometer which I’ll wave at you in the doorway, just to make sure that your temperature is normal. Naturally I’ll be monitoring my own too.

Therapy couch: my therapy couch will be thoroughly sanitised between each client (along with door handles and other hard surfaces, including the floor). I won’t be able to use any coverings or blankets but I’ve bought some muslin squares so bare legs won’t stick to it on warm days! These will be replaced between every client and will be laundered at a high temperature. I’ll also continue to use the single use foot towels I started using a few months ago.

Uniform: I’ll be sealing my outdoor clothes and shoes in a box as well, and changing into a uniform which will only be worn in-clinic, and which will be laundered at the end of every day. By uniform I mean a set of clothes specifically for work, I’m not going to start wearing scrubs or tunics, it’s just not me! I’ll also be wearing a fresh plastic apron each time I wipe down my room. I hate all of this plastic use but I have done my best to minimise my environmental impact with everything else. Even the gallons of Dettol I’ve bought to wipe down everything arrived in refill packs!

Minimising clutter: The more surfaces there are, the harder it will be to keep my room clean, so for the time being my room is going to look a little bare as I stow away everything non-essential.

Drinks: I won’t be providing you with any water at the end of your session and there won’t be any client drink making facilities in the building. Please bring your own water bottle with you.

Payment: I’ll no longer be able to take cash payments or cheques so for the foreseeable future I’ll only be accepting payment by bank tansfer (ideally in advance, but at least before you leave my therapy room at the end of your session).

I think that’s it for now. It may sound like a faff and I know it’s going to take a while to get used to it all, but I’m only going to be allowed back to work under these conditions so please bear with me. It’s all for our mutual safety.

Hope to see you all again soon(ish) x

Update: Sunday 10th May @ 7.45pm (Sue)

I’m sitting in my kitchen trying to make sense of the wooly statement our Prime Minister just made. Doubtless there will be more clarity over coming days, if not from this Government then from my professional association and governing body.

Whilst we’re all being told to go back to work, it seems this is only the case where social distancing can be observed. I’m continuing to think about ways in which I can remain 2 metres away from clients at all times and still perform an effective treatment, but I think for now that’s unlikely. Our mutual safety has to be our priority and while infection rates are still so very high, it just doesn’t feel safe for me to return to work quite yet. I know that the CNHC is trying to get its registrants re-categorised as key workers so I’m very much hoping to be able to return to work ahead of, say, the hospitality industry, but we will have to see what the coming days and weeks hold for us all.

As always I hope that all of you are keeping as well as you can under these difficult circumstance. It’s been lovely to hear from those of you who have been in touch. Connection feels so important right now.  Thank you x

Update: Thursday 30th April @ 8.15pm (Sue)

Hello everyone. I hope you’re all keeping safe and well. I think I can honestly say that I’m really missing you. With this in mind I have a question to put to you.

Industry conversations have started about what a return to work might look like for therapists, if we assume that this virus is here to stay for a while yet. At some point we will be told by Government and our governing bodies that we can return to work, but it’s likely that there will be some conditions attached to protect both therapists and clients. This would likely mean that future hands-on appointments may involve us both being masked; some form of clear perspex screening being erected between us and perhaps me wearing very fine gloves. Would you be happy to have a treatment in this kind of environment, or would you rather wait for months/a year or more until science has made this virus less deadly?

Please email or text me your answer. Apart from anything else it really would be lovely to hear from you x

Update: Saturday 18th April @ 10.15am (Sue)

Hello everyone. It’s been a bumpy ride these last few weeks; navigating our way around the benefits system, negotiating rent holidays/reductions and generally feeling like we’re all living in a sci-fi novel. Those of you who know me well will know that we’re big Dr Who fans in this house and it really feels like we could do with an alien hero right now. Nonetheless we have plenty of earthly heroes and I think about, and feel for, all of my NHS clients every day (I’m outside every Thursday evening at 8, banging my saucepan with the rest of the Close). We’re also so very grateful to all of the other key workers who are making sure that our basic needs are being met. We even managed to buy some pasta last week!

What else have we been up to? Well Jamie has been recording meditations (two so far) to help people who are feeling anxious at this time. You can access them via this website but if you need any help finding them, get in touch and we can send you a link. We’ve also both been walking a neighbour’s two dogs every day, because she’s too vulnerable to leave the house. I’ve been doing a few Distance Reiki sessions each week which has been helping pay the bills and giving some structure to my days. I’ve also been speaking to my elderly Mum most days, and sourcing food deliveries for her as much as I can from so far away (so much for the Government and supermarkets prioritising the vulnerable!).

Thank you so much to those of you who have dropped me the occasional text and email. It really means so much and it’s good to know that you’re OK. I think of you all often. Sue x

Update: Sunday 22nd March @ 12 noon

We’ve decided to do the socially responsible thing and cease all face-to-face sessions with immediate effect. From this point forward we are able to offer the following:

• Distance Reiki (Sue or Jamie)
• Remote Hypnotherapy using Skype or Facetime (Jamie)

If you have one or more face-to-face sessions booked/paid for with either of us you can either opt to change to one of the above (we will contact you on the day of your session to confirm that we’re able to go ahead), or just keep an eye on this blog post to find out when we’re back to normal and re-book (we have set up a creditors list for this purpose).

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of the kind messages we’ve received in the last few days.  We’ve been incredibly touched. We’d also like to thank you for your support to date.

Please stay safe and well

Sue and Jamie x

Update: Friday 20th March @ 11.15am

Last night the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, of which Sue is a registrant (for Reflexology only), sent an email to all registrants informing them that they have to cease hands-on therapies for which they’re registered with immediate effect. This means that Sue is no longer able to offer Reflexology.  We appreciate that our clients are likely to need support more than ever over the coming weeks and months, so from this point until, and if, we reach a lock-down situation or clear Government guidance, we are happy to offer the following support:

• Hands-off Reiki in clinic* (Sue or Jamie)
• Distance Reiki outside of clinic (Sue or Jamie)
• Face-to-face Hypnotherapy in clinic* (Jamie)
• Remote Hypnotherapy outside of clinic (Jamie)

*please scroll down to read our ongoing infection control procedures at The Old Surgery.

If you have one or more sessions booked with either of us and are unable to have your usual therapy, you can either opt to change to one of the above (but PLEASE check back here on the day of your appointment in case there’s an update), or just keep an eye on this blog post to find out when we’re back to normal, and re-book.  If you’ve already paid upfront for Reflexology you can either switch to one of the therapies above, or retain the credit until we’re able to function normally again (Sue has set up a creditors list for this purpose).

Thank you and good luck all x

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Update: Monday 16th March @ 7.40pm

Well it seems inevitable that we are going to have to close at some point in the near future.  Currently we are both feeling well and our stringent infection control procedures are still very much in place.  If you already have an appointment booked with us we can offer you 3 options:

1. Still come while you can, at your own risk, and know that we will do everything we can to protect you (see below for current advice and protocols).
2. Cancel your appointment and re-book once we return to some semblance of normality.
3. Opt for a ‘remote’ therapy instead.  Jamie is currently able to offer Hypnotherapy via skype Wednesdays to Saturdays. Both of us are able to give distance Reiki treatments. Both of these therapies will require you to be able to find a peaceful space in your own homes, away from interruptions.

Over the coming days we’re going to be thinking about how we can support people like us, whose incomes are going to be severely impacted by this current situation. This will probably mean offering a proportion of our services for free or at a reduced cost, because we know this is a stressful time for everyone and clients will need tlc more than ever before. For those who will continue to receive full pay regardless, we’d like to think you’ll be happy to support us and continue to pay full price.

Love and best wishes

Sue and Jamie

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As of today (Saturday 14th March) we are still open for business and will be until we are forced to close for whatever reason.  We’ll be updating this post as often as we need to. We’re taking our responsibilities towards our clients very seriously and have implemented stringent infection control procedures both within our individual rooms and across the whole of The Old Surgery.

• All surfaces that clients may come into contact with are wiped down on a regular basis and hand washing facilities and hand sanitiser are available in every room.
• We have withdrawn drink facilities so please bring your own bottled water.
• Please also bring and use your own pen for form filling and diary writing.
• Please arrive a couple of minutes before your appointment time to allow for hand washing, but also try to minimise the amount of time you spend in our waiting room; potentially in close proximity to others.
• Please don’t bring food into your session.
• Please be patient and accept that it may take a couple of minutes more than usual for us to prepare for your session. We have your best interests at heart.

Here are individual statements from us both regarding our current procedures and policies:

Sue (Reiki and Reflexology)

• My therapy couch is thoroughly wiped down between each client and all soft furnishings have been removed. If you’d like a blanket for your session then please bring your own. Any towels I use are either single use or laundered after every use.
• I wash my hands thoroughly after and before each treatment and ask that you wash your hands before and after your session too.
• Please CANCEL your appointment if you are displaying any of the symptoms of COVID-19 or you know you have been in contact with anyone who has.
• During Reiki treatments I will not touch your face with uncovered hands, but will work energetically above or wear single use gloves if you’d prefer.
• If I feel unwell and believe I pose a risk to you, I will provide you with as much notice as possible if I need to cancel.
• I won’t be implementing my cancellation policy IF your late cancellation is specifically COVID-19 related, but I would still ask that you give me as much notice as possible. This is my only source of income so it’s even more important than usual that I know if you’re not coming so I can offer your slot to someone else.
• If you have paid for any sessions upfront and these need to be cancelled due to this virus of course I’m happy to refund your payment. I do however still want to be in business when this is all over, and will still have bills to pay if I’m unable to work, so if you’re happy for me to hold your payment in credit for when you ARE able to come, I’d be very grateful.
• I will keep as much distance from you as I possibly can at all times, but rest assured that I will still give you the very best treatment I can.

Jamie (Hypnotherapy and Reiki)

• My Reiki therapy couch is thoroughly wiped down between each client and all soft furnishings have been removed. If you’d like a blanket for your session then please bring your own.
• I wash my hands thoroughly after and before each session and ask that you wash your hands before and after too.
• Please CANCEL your appointment if you are displaying any of the symptoms of COVID-19 or you know you have been in contact with anyone who has.
• During Reiki treatments I will not touch your face with uncovered hands, but will work energetically above or wear single use gloves if you’d prefer.
• If I feel unwell and believe I pose a risk to you, I will provide you with as much notice as possible if I need to cancel.
• I won’t be implementing my cancellation policy IF your late cancellation is specifically COVID-19 related, but I would still ask that you give me as much notice as possible.
• If you have paid for any sessions upfront and these need to be cancelled due to this virus of course I’m happy to refund your payment. I do however still want to be in business when this is all over, and will still have bills to pay if I’m unable to work, so if you’re happy for me to hold your payment in credit for when you ARE able to come, I’d be very grateful.
• I will keep as much distance from you as I possibly can at all times, but rest assured that I will still give you the very best treatment I can.

Love, best wishes and kind thoughts

Sue and Jamie