Updated 17 August 2021
We undertook a focused inspection of Knowle Dental Practice on 21 July 2021. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Knowle Dental Practice on 8 January 2020 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well led care and was in breach of regulation 17 good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Knowle Dental Practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is it well-led?
When one or more of the five questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was required.
Our findings were:
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 8 January 2020.
Background
Knowle Dental Practice is in Knowle, Bristol and provides private treatment for adults and children.
There is a small step upon entrance into the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There was no patient parking available at the practice. However, the practice was on a bus route and there was the ability to park on the street near the practice. People who use wheelchairs could be dropped off directly outside the practice.
The dental team includes two dentists (who also managed the practice), three dental nurses and one receptionist. The practice has two treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
- Monday 8:30am to 8pm
- Tuesday 8:30am to 5:30pm
- Wednesday 8:30am to 3pm
- Thursday 8:30am to 8pm
- Friday 8:30am to 1pm
Our key findings were:
- Outstanding equipment and electrical checks had now been undertaken to mitigate risks to patient safety.
- Risks had been mitigated to reduce the possibility of Legionella or other bacteria developing in the water systems.
- Fire systems had been improved to ensure relevant legislation and guidelines were followed.
- Risks had been mitigated to ensure all substances hazardous to health had been risk assessed ensuring legislation requirements were met.
- Referrals were monitored to ensure patients receive treatment in a timely manner.
- Recommendations identified for radiation protection had now been completed.