Great Northern Road Dental Clinic

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations and had taken into consideration appropriate guidance.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Learning culture is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Safe systems, pathways and transitions is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Safeguarding is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Involving people to manage risks is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

Staff and leaders told us of the systems now in place to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises. Potential risks to patients and staff had been assessed and managed.

The practice appeared clean, and cleaning schedules were now being used.

A fire risk assessment had been carried out and all actions had been completed. We saw that periodic in-house checks of the fire safety equipment and fire alarms had been carried out. Staff had completed fire safety training. An Electrical Installation Condition Report had been completed in May 2024 and the report was satisfactory. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) folder had been updated, yet improvements were still required to ensure all risks had been fully assessed.

The practice was aware of how to safely employ staff in line with current regulations. No new staff had been recruited since the previous inspection in December 2023.

All staff now had an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate. Identification checks had been carried out for all staff members. Some staff had evidence of immunity to Hepatitis B, but improvements were required to ensure all staff could demonstrate this immunity. Staff had completed appropriate safeguarding training. Staff training was being monitored and there was oversight of this process. Whilst staff had completed an appraisal questionnaire, improvements were needed to ensure that the discussion held during the appraisal was recorded.

Patients told us that the practice looked clean, and equipment appeared to be in a good state of repair.

Staff were knowledgeable about the importance of infection prevention and control. Dentists were disposing of used sharps.

The decontamination process reflected published guidance. A thermometer was being used to monitor the water temperature during the cleaning of used dental instruments. An illuminated magnifier was being used to check the efficacy of the cleaning process. Sharps bins were dated and used correctly. Instruments which had been through the decontamination process appeared clean. Materials being used on patients were within their expiry date.

The autoclave had been serviced in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines. A log was being used to demonstrate the weekly changing of heavy duty gloves used in the decontamination process. Staff had completed training in infection prevention and control. A sharps risk assessment had been completed. This stated that re-sheathing devices were present in all surgeries, yet we saw that 2 surgeries did not have these available. Monthly water temperature checks were being completed. However, the Legionella risk assessment had not been completed by a person with the qualifications, skills, competence and experience to do so. Following this assessment, we were told that an external company had been booked to complete the risk assessment. The latest infection prevention and control audit was reflective of the processes seen in the practice. Cleaning schedules were in place to ensure cleaning was undertaken at regular intervals.

The judgement for Medicines optimisation is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.