Running an emergency service for dental patients during COVID-19 crisis

The College of Medicine and Health University College Cork has announced that the Dental School and Hospital have reorganised their services and amalgamated their clinics to one clinical area to run an emergency service for dental patients during the COVID-19 crisis.

This clinic operates Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 1.00pm, all patients are triaged over the phone and appointments are issued where necessary. Where appropriate, clinicians are using Telemedicine over a secure platform to do video consultations with patients to identify and advise on treatment options.  This is a new venture for the Dental School and Hospital but is a vital resource in managing urgent care during the public health crisis

In March, when the first positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed, things changed fundamentally for all staff and patients on the CUH campus.  Outpatient clinics in CUH had to be relocated and reinstated as soon as possible.

Dr Christine McCreary Dean, University Dental School and Hospital, Cork today commented: Given the current COVID-19 crisis we felt it was imperative to assist the HSE and reorganise our services at The Dental School and Hospital and combine our clinics to one clinical area thereby running an emergency service for dental patients during the COVID-19 crisis.’’

The amalgamation of the dental specialities in one area has released much-needed space to the HSE to get their outpatient clinics back in operation.  The following clinics have now been relocated to the Dental School and Hospital and are up and running: Dressing Clinic, Warfarin Clinic, Podiatry, Phlebotomy, Rheumatology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Plastics, General Surgery, Urology, Infectious Diseases,, Diabetes, and ENT.

Pictured:

(1) Hailey Dineen, Dental Nurse, Laura O’Donnell, Dental Nurse, Dr. Derek Mulcahy, Dentist, Muriel O’Connor, Dental Nurse

(2) Dr. Christine McCreary, Dean, Sheila O’Connell, HSE Outpatients Department, Aoibheann O’Flynn, Dental School and Hospital, Sharon Anderson, HSE Outpatients Department, Dr. Catherine Gallagher, Oral Surgeon Specialist, Dental School and Hospital

(3) Hailey Dineen, Dental Nurse, Laura O’Donnell, Dental Nurse,, Dr. Christine McCreary, Dean, Muriel O’Connor, Dental Nurse.