Reopening Your Aesthetics Business After Lockdown
How are you feeling about getting back to business? We don’t have a date yet but we know it’s coming. To get you started, we’ve put together a quick checklist to help with preparing to reopen your aesthetics business after lockdown.
Check in with your insurance company
If they haven’t contacted you already, or if you just want to be completely sure, check-in with your insurance company. It is likely they will have specific pandemic-related updates on their website. If not, it’s safer to get in touch with them than it is to assume nothing has changed.
They will be able to advise you about any new requirements in light of COVID and what you will need to do to comply. Obviously it is crucial to ensure you meet all necessary criteria to ensure your coverage remains valid.
Familiarise yourself with COVID vaccine information
Some patients with soft tissue fillers reported swelling in their face and lips after having the Moderna vaccine. As such, it is important to familiarise yourself with the latest COVID vaccine information. You can find the patient information leaflets for each of the three main vaccines in the UK below. Each includes the date they were last updated.
AstraZeneca vaccine – also known as the “Oxford vaccine”
Update your protocols
Set some time aside to review your existing protocols and update them where necessary. You will also need to add in details relating to COVID-safe practices, COVID-specific risk assessments and anything else your insurance company has advised you on.
You may find it useful to follow the Harley Academy vaccine protocol with regards timelines for treating patients who are due to have, or have recently had, their first or second COVID-19 jab.
Update your medical and legal consent forms
As a result of the various changes COVID has caused, you will need to revise your medical and legal consent forms. Include all new terms and conditions relating to your updated protocols, and – again – follow all advice provided by your insurance company on what needs to be included here.
Allow extra time for each appointment in your booking schedule
When booking appointments, allow at least 45 minutes for each clinical consultation that you conduct in person. This is vital so you can properly assess patients’ mental health.
It is also imperative that injectors fully discuss the potential adverse events associated with coronavirus vaccines with patients.
Obviously you can conduct online consultations before patients visit you, to keep their time in the clinic to a minimum. This is certainly advisable given the current health crisis.
Check your PPE stock levels
There may be delays for key pieces of PPE equipment once the date for reopening is announced. Be prepared and order yours early to avoid wait times.
Work on your marketing
Reach out to your patients – email, phone, whichever way works best for them – and update your social media regularly. Let people know when you will be open for bookings, when you will start treatments again and which services you’ll be offering.
Tell them – or, even better, show them – all the precautions you’re taking to make their treatment a pleasant and safe experience. Make them feel secure and reassured as, right now, they will need to feel confident in your environment and patient care as well as your injector abilities. This is an opportunity to show that you are an ethical, efficient practitioner who has their patients’ best interests at heart.
We’re still busy with our online aesthetics courses but can’t wait to get back in clinic and look forward to welcoming all our students, old and new, to Harley Academy as soon as possible!
