Updated 17 June 2019
We undertook a follow up focused inspection of Abbey Dental Walthamstow on 6 June 2019. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Abbey Dental Walthamstow on 6 February 2019 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing safe and well led care and was in breach of Regulation 12 - Safe care and treatment,
Regulation 15 - Premises and Equipment and
Regulation 17 – Good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link Abbey Dental Walthamstow on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
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Is it safe?
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Is it well-led?
When one or more of the five questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was required.
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations. The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 6 February 2019.
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 6 February 2019.
Background
Abbey Dental Walthamstow is in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The practice provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.
The practice is located on the ground floor of the premises. The layout and design of the building does not offer step free access. The practice is located close to public transport routes including bus and train services.
The dental team includes seven associate dentists, one dental hygienist and six dental nurses. The clinical team are supported by a practice manager and two receptionists.
The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Abbey Dental Walthamstow was the practice manager.
During the inspection we spoke with one associate dentist, the practice manager and one dental nurse. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open between 8am and 6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, between 8am and 5pm on Thursdays and between 8am and 4pm on Fridays.
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Our key findings were:
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Improvements had been made so that so that the practice premises and equipment were maintained suitably and fit for use.
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The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance and there were arrangements for minimising the risks associated with Legionella.
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Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. The recommended emergency medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
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The practice had systems to help them manage risk. Improvements had been made so that the risks associate with fire were minimised.
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The practice had made improvements to its leadership. Staff felt more confident that they could raise concerns and that these would be listened to and addressed.
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There were processes in place to ensure the on-going supervision and appraisal for staff.
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There were arrangements to assess and minimise risks where the dental hygienist worked without chairside support.