Perfect Smile Dental - Becmead Avenue

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 4 August 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 reflected published guidance.
• 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.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. However, not all life-saving equipment was available as per national guidelines.
• Staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Improvements were required to ensure all staff completed safeguarding training at a level appropriate to their role.
• There were ineffective systems to ensure that staff were up to date with their training.
• Improvements were needed to the systems to help the provider manage risk to patients and staff.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which required improvements to comply with current legislation.
• Staff generally worked as a team. Improvements were needed to ensure that they were supported and involved in the delivery of care and treatment.

Background

The provider has 3 practices, and this report is about Perfect Smile Dental – Becmead Avenue also known as Streatham Dental Care.

Perfect Smile Dental – Becmead Avenue is in the London Borough of Lambeth and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 3 dentists, 2 dental nurses, 4 dental hygienists, 1 practice manager who is also the CQC registered manager and 1 receptionist. The practice has 4 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, an associate dentist, the 2 dental nurses, the receptionist 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 and Wednesday from 9am to 5.30pm

Tuesday from 9am to 7pm

Thursday from 8am to 6pm

Friday from 8am to 2pm

Alternate Saturdays from 9am to 1pm

The practice had taken steps to improve environmental sustainability. For example, energy efficiency improvements had been made to the property by the installation of double glazing and insulation within the floors between each storey. There was an emphasis on recycling.

We identified regulations 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.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Implement an effective recruitment procedure to ensure that appropriate checks are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.
• Implement an effective system for monitoring and recording the fridge temperature to ensure that medicines and dental care products are being stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.
• Implement practice protocols and procedures to ensure staff are up to date with their mandatory training and their continuing professional development.
• Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.