Conduit Dental Centre

We carried out this announced comprehensive on 28 April 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.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Improvements were needed to ensure medicines and life-saving equipment were available in accordance with national guidance. Improvements were needed to the practice systems to manage 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. Improvements were needed so that information was obtained for agency and locum staff who work at the practice.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines. Improvements were needed to ensure that dentists obtained patients’ consent to care and treatment in line with legislation and guidance.
• 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.
• Improvements were needed to improve the effectiveness of leadership and governance at the practice.
• 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

Conduit Dental Centre is part of Execudent Limited, a group dental provider.

The practice is in the London Borough of Camden 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. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 3 dentists, 1 dental nurse, and 1 trainee dental nurse. The clinical team are supported by the practice manager who covers reception duties. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 2 dentists, 1 dental nurse, and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures, and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open between 9am and 6pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and between 9am and 1.30pm on Fridays.

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/is not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

• Improve the practice’s sharps procedures to ensure the practice is in compliance with the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.
• Improve the recruitment procedure to ensure that appropriate checks are completed prior to locum and agency staff commencing work at the practice.
• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records.