Updated 28 May 2019
We undertook a focused inspection of Chartwell Dental Clinic on 29 April 2019. This inspection was carried out specifically to review the practice’s conscious sedation procedures.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by two dental specialist advisors, one of whom is a sedation practitioner and sedation trainer.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is it safe?
Background
Chartwell Dental Clinic is a dental practice situated in the town of Croxley Green in Hertfordshire. In addition to general dentistry, it provides both basic and advanced sedation techniques administered by inhalation of gases or intravenous injection, or a combination of both to children and adults.
The practice is open from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday to Friday and offers appointments on a Saturday morning once a month.
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 the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, the sedationist who provided conscious sedation to patients, the practice manager and one dental nurse. We looked at the practice’s procedures in relation to sedation and reviewed a sample of patients’ notes. We examined the surgeries where sedation was provided and where patients recovered following their treatment.
Our findings were:
We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
Review the provision of conscious sedation having due regard to the Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care published by the Royal College of Surgeons in 2015.