Dear Host,
It has been a while since we have been in contact, due to the general fallout from COVID 19, the upheaval within the NHS and the inability for clinicians, researchers, academics and other professionals to travel internationally.
Doctor in the House has had its fair share of changes to adjust to the rapidly changing climate, but we have weathered the storm and genuinely believe the worst is over, for now, and life appears to be getting back to a “new” normal with enquiries growing by the day. We anticipate being back at our pre 2019 level within the next six months, if not before, all being well!
Over the past 20 months our booking team was reduced to a skeleton team with Sandra and Cat standing down and Lewis managing all enquiries. Lewis has now left and returned to Manchester where he is making a new life for himself. Thankfully, the owners, Mark and Gina Dineley have taken over the helm and will be managing our bookings and DitH day to day business going forwards. Chris Wills has now retired but continues to help when it matters to ensure continuity.
We expect to resume recruiting new Hosts over the next few weeks which will be exciting and the start of a new beginning for DitH.
You might now ask what has changed for Hosts and do you need to alter your accommodation and role as a Host in any way?
We have studied the Government guidelines and B&B accommodation is pretty simple, which is a relief.
Based on the Government’s current guidelines, we are subsequently making the following recommendations when receiving guests, if you have not already done so.
- DitH will continue, as we always have done, to collect specific contact information about our Guests although this is no longer mandatory.
- Government guidance recommends ‘adequate ventilation’. This simply means if there are areas of your home with poor ventilation try and make improvements by opening windows etc. This is not mandatory simply a recommendation.
- We are asked to ‘clean more often’. I think as you are inviting a guest into your home it will be clean enough, this guidance is aimed at hotels. I should stress, we are not requesting a sterile home for your guest.
- Continue to hand sanitise and provide sanitiser in the bedroom.
- Masks are no longer necessary in a home setting
Put simply, please use your best judgment and ventilate, clean and maintain good hygiene.
Finally, if you wish to put your accommodation on pause please let us know and we will amend our system which will save a lot of disappointment for prospective Guests who might wish to stay at your accommodation.
If you have any questions please drop us an email or call and we will get back to you. Now Gina and Mark are at the helm our response should be pretty swift.
Finally, may we wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year holidays!
Best Wishes
Mark, Gina and Chris
