Updated 21 October 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 30 August 2019 and 12 September 2019 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 provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five 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:
Are services safe?
We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services effective?
We found that this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services caring?
We found that this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services responsive?
We found that this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services well-led?
We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
Glow Dental is in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The practice provides private dental treatments to adults and children.
The practice is located close to public transport services. The practice is located on the ground floor and has three treatment rooms.
The dental team includes the principal dentist, two associate dentists, one specialist orthodontist, one specialist endodontist and one dentist with specialist interest in paediatric dentistry. Two dental hygienists, one dental nurse and one trainee dental nurse work at the practice. The clinical team are supported by a practice manager.
The practice is owned by an organisation and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers 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 registered manager at Glow Dental Surgery is the principal dentist.
We collected feedback from 14 patients who completed CQC comment cards.
During the inspection we spoke with one associate dentist, the dental nurse and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open between:
9am and 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
9am and 6.30pm on Tuesdays.
9am and 8pm on Thursdays.
9am and 5pm on Fridays
9.30am and 4pm on Saturdays
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. All emergency life-saving equipment and emergency medicine except for the recommended medicine to treat seizures were available. Following our inspection, we were provided with documentary evidence that this medicine was available and ready for use.
- The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
- The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
- The provider had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
- The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
- The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
- The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Take action to ensure the availability of medicines in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the British National Formulary and the General Dental Council.
- Take action to ensure audits of infection prevention and control are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. Practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.
- Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice when completing dental care records.
- Take action to ensure that dental nursing staff who assist in conscious sedation have the appropriate training and skills to carry out the role, taking into account guidelines published by The Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry in the document 'Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care 2015'.