Archived: Nile Street Dental

At the time the practice was not effectively checking medical histories at appointments which meant that there was a risk to people using the service as current medical histories were not known.

This meant that the provider was failing to comply with the requirements of Regulation 9 (1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. We asked the provider to take action.

When we inspected on 25 June 2014 we found that the provider had a system in place to gain a full medical history from new patients and a system of updating medical histories at each visit. We found that the action taken by the provider was sufficient to comply with the requirements of the regulation.

At that time the practice was not effectively managing some of the risks to people's health and safety. The provider did not have emergency equipment readily available for use and staff were unable to demonstrate competence in using it. There were environmental risks to patients which had not been assessed and no actions had been taken to minimise those risks.

At the follow up inspection, we found that the provider had started to convert the paper record to a computerised system. Relevant contractual NHS forms were included and completed.

The practice had made arrangements for dealing with medical emergencies by training all staff in the use of emergency equipment.

We looked at a random sample of 20 patient records and checked the medical history questionnaires. Records showed that these patients had not had their medical history reviewed at their last appointment. This meant there was a risk to people using the service as they were being treated without the provider knowing their medical conditions or identifying any potential risks treatment might pose to their health.

We found the practice had inadequate governance systems in place which resulted in inadequate safeguards in place to protect patients. National guidance and NHS contractual issues were not being followed in a consistent manner.

Staff appeared pleasant and considerate to the patients but we found they were not appropriately supported to undertake their role.