Needing support and assurance

A global pandemic was something no one was prepared for.  

In the space of a couple of days patients began to cancel appointments as they were too frightened to attend.  

Overnight the doors of my private practice closed.  

Initially I felt shock and disbelief. For the first time since I qualified 30 years ago, I felt real panic about the future.  

Private practitioners suddenly had no income. For some, the government grants were a relief, for others a complete frustration as they fell through gaps in the schemes.  

I, like many other private practitioners, had business insurance that covered business interruption but did not cover disruption due to a pandemic. 

After two months in lockdown I felt isolated and anxious about the process of reopening.  

The necessity of risk assessments, PPE, remote consultations, screening before seeing patients face-to-face was completely alien. I was almost frightened to reopen. What if I was putting my patients or my own family at risk? 

Reading regular emails from the CSP and Physio First became a daily routine. Zoom meetings and getting the chance to chat to other physios reduced the feelings of isolation. 

I began to feel supported and guided in working towards seeing patients face-to-face again.  

I was so grateful to CSP professional adviser Euan McComiskie who spent time going through my risk assessments and the clinical reasoning process required to start to see patients again. Sometimes you just need reassurance that you are on the right track.  

I suppose the unfamiliar becomes familiar through time.  

New processes become routine. 

Let’s hope we emerge from this pandemic with confidence in our ability to adapt and survive, and with an appreciation for the support that was there when we really needed it.