Park Avenue Dental Care

We carried out this announced focused inspection on 2 August 2022 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 practice 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 COVID-19 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:

• The dental clinic was visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• There was an effective appointment system which took account of patients’ needs.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• The dental clinic had information governance arrangements.

Background

Park Avenue Dental Care is in Willesden Green, in the London Borough of Brent, 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 near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with additional needs, including an accessible patient toilet.

The dental team includes two principal dentists, four associate dentists, six trainee dental nurses, three qualified dental nurses, two dental hygienists and one receptionist. They are supported by a practice manager. The practice has seven treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the two principal dentists, two dental nurses and two trainee dental nurses. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday 8am and 5pm.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 5pm-7pm by appointment only for private patients.

We noted innovative approaches to providing person centred care.

The practice operated a zoned appointment book. This meant that each dentist’s appointment book was split into two types of zones; one contained only treatment appointments and the other zone contains examinations and new patient consultation appointments. This meant that the appointment system was more predictable and allowed the practice team to manage the appointments more effectively. The appointment book was created on week A and week B basis where week A mirrored week B so that within this two-week period patients could access examination and treatment appointments on any given morning or afternoon.

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

• Ensure that rectangular collimator is used with all intraoral X-Ray units, taking into account the Guidance Notes for Dental Practitioners on the Safe Use of X-ray Equipment, published by the College of General dentistry (CGDent).
• Ensure that ongoing fire safety management is effective by maintaining a written record of the weekly fire detection system and fire extinguisher tests and checks.