Mr Colin Gaunt - North Finchley

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 26 September 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. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• 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.
• The practice had some systems to support continuous improvements.
• The practice did not have suitable recruitment procedures to comply with current legislation.
• Care and treatment provided to patients were in line with current guidelines. Improvements were needed to ensure patient care was suitably recorded within the dental care records.
• The practice did not have systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.

Background

Mr Colin Gaunt - North Finchley is in Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The practice is on the first and second floor of a high street building and not accessible for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice has processes in place to communicate this to patients prior to their appointments. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, 6 associate dentists, 4 qualified dental nurses, 1 trainee dental nurse, 1 dental hygienist, 1 practice manager, who is a qualified dental nurse, 1 receptionist who is a qualified dental nurse, 1 receptionist and 1 administrator. The practice has 5 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, 1 associate dentist, 1 dental nurse, 2 receptionists 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 to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm

Alternate Saturdays 8.30am to 5.30pm.

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

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.