Dental Studio 22

We carried out this unannounced inspection on 30 November 2021 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 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 always ask the following three questions:

• 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:

Are services safe?

We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Dental Studio 22 is in the London Borough of Westminster and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for people with disabilities, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, nine associate dentists, eight dental nurses, and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC 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 Dental Studio 22 is the principal dentist.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, two associate dentists, three dental nurses, a provider operations manager and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm.

9.00am – 7.00pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared to be visibly clean.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. However, the process for cleaning dental instruments required improvement.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. However, some improvements were required in regards to the checking of equipment and medicine.
• The provider had some systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff, although these were not comprehensive.
• The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation. However, the recording of evidence of satisfactory conduct in previous employment within personnel files required improvement.
• 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.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider had information governance arrangements.
• Some improvements were required to leadership of the practice.

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/s the provider was/is not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

• Improve the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure accurate, complete and detailed records are maintained for all staff.

• Improve the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’.

• Implement an effective system for checks of medical emergency equipment and medicines taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.