Archived: The Hamptons Dental Care

We carried out this announced inspection on 9 November 2021 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

The Hamptons Dental Care is a well-established practice which provides both NHS and private treatment to adults and children. The dental team includes one dentist, two dental hygienists, two dental nurses, three receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms. The practice has parking facilities to the rear of the premises. Wheelchair access is available via a small ramp, and there is a fully accessible toilet and ground floor treatment room.

The practice opens on Mondays to Thursdays from 9am to 5.30pm; and on Fridays from 9am to 1pm.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. The registered manager at the practice is the principal dentist.

During our inspection we spoke with the dentist, the practice manager, two dental nurses and reception staff. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff and induction recruitment procedures.
• Patients’ care and treatment was provided in line with current guidelines.
• The practice took complaints and concerns seriously and responded to them appropriately to improve the quality of care.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Take action to ensure the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.

• Take action to implement the recommendations in the practice's fire risk assessment and ensure ongoing fire safety management is effective.

• Improve the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’. For example, reviewing the setup in the decontamination area, measuring cleaning liquids, removing lime-scale build up from sinks, keeping instruments moist before sterilisation, and ensuring heavy duty gloves and long handled brushes are changed regularly.

• Take action to ensure audits of antimicrobial prescribing, radiography and dental care records are undertaken at recommended intervals to improve the quality of the service.

• Improve the security of NHS prescription pads in the practice and ensure there are systems in place to track and monitor their use.