**CORONAVIRUS UPDATE** February 2021

We want you to know that Petworth Veterinary Centre is open and able to see you and your pets during these challenging times - our team is ready and available for when you need us. It has become clear that we will need to live with the threat of coronavirus for some time to come and therefore our practice will need do things differently for a while, to protect staff and ensure that, as a practice, we are able to be open and available to see to your pets at all times. We are operating in line with guidelines issued by the government and our professional bodies. Please read and note the following;

• Clients will be able to enter the practice but we will only be able to have a maximum of ONE client (over the age of 11) in the building at any one time. Please let us know, when you make an appointment, if you do not wish to enter the practice and would rather be seen outside.
• If you are visiting the practice, please let us know in advance if you or a member of your household is unwell or self-isolating.
  
• If you have an appointment please wait in your vehicle until your appointment time before coming in. We will see you have arrived through our Reception window but if you are worried that we haven't noticed your arrival then call us from the car or approach the window to tell us you are here.
  
• You will not be allowed to enter the building unless you are wearing a mask (unless you are exempt from this requirement for medical reasons).
  
• As you enter the lobby you will see a sign asking you to wait to be invited to enter the waiting room.
• For pet consultations, we will invite you into a treatment room. We will be wearing PPE and will socially distance ourselves from clients as far as is practicable. It may be necessary for us to gather a history of your pet's condition from you before taking your pet from you for a brief while. We will then perform an examination before delivering your pet back to you with a treatment plan.
  
• Social distancing will be required at all times when communicating with staff and with other clients in the car park. There will be a one-way system in operation within the building.
• We would ask that you disinfect your hands regularly before your visit and during if possible (there is disinfectant available for you at the entrance and on the reception desk).
• We would encourage you to call in advance if you need to pick up medication/flea and worming product. Our website has a number of quick and easy forms that can be filled out for messages and medication requests. We are of course happy to take telephone calls but to enable us to free up the phone lines, please consider the following;
  

         Repeat prescriptions can be ordered here                    Appointment requests can be made here

         Flea and worming products can be ordered here

• We are able to vaccinate all pets though there may still be a short wait before we can see you. Please be assured a short wait will not be detrimental to your pet's health.
• We are currently able to do all routine operations and procedures but there may occasionally be a short wait. Urgent cases will always take priority.
  
• Video consultations may be available but wherever possible we would rather physically see our patients as we believe this best serves their wellbeing. Video consultations would be charged at the same rate as a physical examination.
  
• Payments are now able to be taken with a portable handheld card machine as well as over the phone as needed.
  

   Please stay safe and well.