Archived: Selsdon Dental Surgery

We carried out this announced inspection on 3 June 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 Care Quality Commission, (CQC), inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• 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 this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

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

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Selsdon Dental Surgery is in the London Borough of Croydon and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available at the front of the practice and on roads surrounding the practice.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, a dental nurse and a 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 all the team. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Fridays from 8.30am to 5.00pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance although some improvements could be made in relation to the dirty to clean flow in the decontamination room.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. Glucagon was not stored in a fridge where temperatures were being monitored.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines. However, staff were not up to date with continuing professional development in the provision of dental care using conscious sedation. As a result of this the provider has formally notified us that they have stopped carrying out treatment under sedation until staff had completed the appropriate training.
• The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. Improvements were required with regards to the sharps risk assessment and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
• The provider did not have appropriate information governance arrangements.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.