The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Archived: Fulham Orthodontics

229 New Kings Road, Fulham, London, SW6 4XE (020) 7637 0777

Provided and run by:
Mr. Alex Redhead

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

8 May 2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 8 May 2017 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

Fulham Orthodontics is located in Fulham and provides private orthodontic treatment to patients of all ages.

The practice is based on the ground floor of a converted house and there is no level access for patients who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. The practice has a temporary ramp that can be used for patients with wheelchairs. There is public car parking available near the practice.

The dental team includes one dentist and a dental nurse.

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.

On the day of inspection we collected 20 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with five other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with the dentist and dental nurse.

The practice is open times were Mondays 9.00am to 9.00pm.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice was clean and well maintained.
  • The practice had infection control procedures which generally reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
  • The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
  • The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
  • The practice 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.
  • The appointment system met patients’ needs.
  • The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
  • The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
  • The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

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

  • Review the practice’s audit protocols to ensure audits of various aspects of the service, especially radiography were undertaken by staff who had been trained adequately.

13 May 2013

During a routine inspection

We haven’t been able to speak to people using the service because there were no appointments at the time of this inspection. We gathered evidence of people’s experiences of the service by reviewing the provider’s satisfaction questionnaires and the complaints log. We found that people using the service stated that their treatment had been fully explained and that the dentist always discussed options with the patients. In recent patient feedback, when asked about staff being helpful and knowledgeable, and whether they received adequate information about their treatment the majority of people rated the practice as "very good".

Patient records looked at included medical histories that were taken prior to treatment being provided. In recent patient feedback people said they were "treated very well".

Staff had been trained in what to do in a medical emergency. There were emergency drugs and equipment available in the practice.

On the day of the inspection the practice was clean and tidy. There were policies and procedures in place on how to maintain a clean and hygienic environment and staff made regular checks to ensure that these were being followed.

All staff underwent appropriate training on an annual basis in relevant mandatory topics such as medical emergencies and decontamination, as well as training specific to treatments they provided.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.