Updated 5 March 2024
We carried out this unannounced focused inspection on 14 February 2024 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, the following 2 questions were asked:
- Is it safe?
- 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. Improvements were needed to ensure these protocols were consistently followed.
- Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- Improvements were needed to the systems for managing risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
- 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.
Background
Mydentist - Cavendish Road - Claughton is part of Mydentist, a dental group provider. The practice is in Wirral in Merseyside and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There is ramp access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice is located close to local transport routes and car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.
The dental team includes 3 dentists, 3 dental nurses (including 1 trainee), 1 dental hygienist, 1 dental therapist, 1 practice manager and 1 dental nurse/receptionist. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.
During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 dental nurse, 1 dental nurse/receptionist and the practice manager. The practice was supported by the group’s Lead Regulatory Officer. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 5.30pm
Wednesday from 9am to 6.30pm
Friday from 8.30am to 5pm
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:
- Improve the practice protocols regarding auditing to ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.