COVID-19 Guidance
Reducing the spread of infection in the consulting room
In the UK, there are currently no COVID-19 restrictions in place. However, there are considerations every registrant should take into account to reduce the spread of infection in the consulting room, documented below.
As a registrant, you are expected to use your judgement to make informed and reasonable decisions and meet the required standards for conduct, behavior and ethics. Therefore this guidance should be read in tandem with the British Psychoanalytic Council’s published standards.
In accordance with Standard 2 of our published standards, as a registrant, you must:
2. Ensure a safe environment for you and your patients
2.1 Ensure a safe and private environment for patients
2.2 Ensure compliance with all relevant Health and Safety legislation
Here are some basic guidelines to help you understand how to reduce the spread of infections, such as COVID-19 and other viruses, which can be spread through droplet or airborne transmission.
Assess the risks to you and the patient by considering infection prevention and control:
- Consider how vulnerable your patient is, or people in their household are, to infections and if they have a weakened immune system.
- Consider how vulnerable you are, or people in your household are, to infections and if either you or anyone in your household have a weakened immune system.
- Know what symptoms to look out for such as coughs, high temperature, shortness of breath and other flu like symptoms.
Action to reduce the spread of infection:
- Vaccinations are still the most effective way of preventing serious illness. Consider keeping your vaccinations up-to-date along with regular health check-ups.
- Stay informed on any updates to local guidance about outbreaks in your area.
- Consider staying at home if you have a high temperature, if your patient has a high temperature and has informed you of this, recommend that they stay at home in your correspondence with them.
- If you or your patient test positive for COVID-19 please follow NHS Guidelines and consider cancelling sessions or offering an alternative session or way of meeting that avoids contact. Click here to view our guidance around working with patients online.
Action to reduce spread of infection in the consulting room:
- Keep your hands clean by regularly washing them.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
- Cover the nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when sneezing, coughing, wiping and blowing the nose.
- Maintain a regular and thorough cleaning schedule for your consulting and waiting rooms.
- Ensure there is adequate ventilation in your consulting and waiting rooms.
If you have any specific queries or questions you’d like to ask us directly, email us.
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