Totteridge Dental Studio - Totteridge Lane

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 14 March 2023 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 advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

• The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which broadly reflected published guidance. Improvements were needed to ensure that contaminated instruments were safely transported to the decontamination area.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had some systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises. Improvements were needed to the systems for assessing, monitoring and mitigating risks associated with fire, radiation safety and the use of sharps.
• 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.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

Totteridge Dental Studio - Totteridge Lane is in the London Borough of Barnet and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The main entrance into the practice has steps; however, there is a second entrance with step free access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Limited car parking spaces are available for patients. The practice does not have an accessible toilet and they have systems in place to communicate this to patients prior to their appointments.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, 1 associate dentist, 1 dental therapist, 1 trainee dental nurse and 1 qualified dental nurse who also undertakes practice management duties. They are supported by an administrator. The practice has 2 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday from 9am to 5pm.

Tuesday from 9am to 4pm

Wednesday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm.

We identified regulation the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.