Updated 24 December 2020
We undertook a follow up desk-based review of Old Square Dental Surgery on 27 November 2020. This review was carried out to examine 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 review was led by a CQC inspector.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Old Square Dental Surgery on 19 November 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 well-led care and was in breach of regulation 17 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 for Old Square Dental Surgery on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
As part of this review we asked:
• 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 (requirement notice only). We then review again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was required.
Our findings were:
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 19 November 2019.
Background
Old Square Dental Surgery is in Warwick and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children. There are two services provided by four different providers at this location. This report only relates to the provision of general dental care services provided by Dr. Robert Bate. A separate report is available in respect of the orthodontic service which is registered under the provider Old Square Orthodontics Ltd.
There is a low-level step access to the practice with a gradient that is unsuitable for a portable ramp to be used. Patients who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs are supported by those accompanying them or staff to access the premises. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for people with disabilities, are available in pay and display car parks near to the practice.
The dental team includes four dentists, one orthodontist, six dental nurses, two dental hygienists, three receptionists and the practice manager. The practice has five treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They 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 practice is open:
Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.
Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm.
Our key findings were:
The provider had made improvements to the management of the service. These included
- Completion of an infection prevention and control audit every six months.
- Completion of appraisals for staff members.
- The implementation of regular staff meetings.
- The fixed electrical wiring had been replaced and an electrical installation certificate had been issued.
- Infection prevention and control processes had been updated and staff were trained in the changes.
- An electronic software package had been installed to enhance record keeping.
- Monitoring and tracking systems for prescriptions had been implemented.
These improvements provided a sound footing for the ongoing development of effective governance arrangements at the practice.