Many of our patients are concerned about the coronavirus. Obviously for the moment the number of confirmed cases in the UK is low. We all hope that it will stay that way, but realistically it may well get worse before it gets better.

So what do we recommend to our patients?

Firstly, please follow the government’s advice. At the time of writing, anyone coming from areas with a known high incidence of the virus should self-isolate and call 111: certain parts of China and South Korea, Iran and named cities in Northern Italy.

If you have a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath and have recently returned from: other parts of mainland China or South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, other parts of northern Italy (anywhere north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini), Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar or Vietnam – then you should also self-isolate and call 111.

The government advice can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

For those not at immediate risk the best thing you can do is WASH YOUR HANDS!! Simple and effective.

What about my appointment/surgery?

For the moment the risk is low. The London Clinic Eye Centre is a self-contained specialist ophthalmic centre with no other specialists consulting in the building (e.g. GPs or respiratory specialists). All staff and consultants work solely in ophthalmology. Patient turnover is relatively low and we have 10 waiting areas spread over 6 floors.

Everyone arriving in the building is being asked to wash their hands, and in addition there are hand sanitisers on the walls throughout the building. Within the consulting rooms and office, we are wiping down equipment between patients with disinfectant wipes.

Surgery, by definition, takes place within a highly regulated and sterile environment. Both Moorfields and The London Clinic have issued strict protocols around this virus, with similar actions to those detailed above.

We hope that you find this information helpful in your decision-making and we will update this blog as needed. As ever, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further information.