Archived: Lotus Clinic Dental & Aesthetic Medicine London

We carried out this unannounced focused inspection on 8 April 2022 under section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection to follow up on information of concern we received and 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 adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment,

we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and staff took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. However, improvements were needed to ensure these were understood and complied with.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Improvements were needed to ensure that appropriate checks were carried out at regular intervals and medicines past their use by date were disposed of suitably.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. Improvements were needed to ensure that these systems were monitored, risk assessments were completed accurately and acted on to mitigate risks.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation. Improvements were needed to ensure relevant information was maintained for visiting specialist staff.
• Improvements were needed to ensure effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.

Background

Lotus Clinic Dental & Aesthetic Medicine London is in the London Borough Barnet and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice has made adjustments to support patients with additional needs, including level access and treatment rooms on the ground floor.

The dental team includes five dentists, two dental hygienists, three nurses and one receptionist. The practice has four treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, a visiting sedationist, one receptionist and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 5.30pm

Alternate Saturdays between 9am and 3.30pm

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 is not meeting are at the end of this report.

There was an area where the provider could make improvements. They should:

Review the practice's recruitment procedures to ensure that appropriate checks are completed in relation to temporary agency and visiting specialist staff.