Archived: Harley Street Dental Studio

We carried out this unannounced inspection on 21 March 2018 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 and another CQC inspector.

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

Harley Street Dental Studio is located in Westminster and provides private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs via a temporary ramp and lift that accessed all floors of the practice.

The dental team includes 16 dentists (a number of which were visiting specialists), seven dental nurses, five dental hygienists, a receptionist/dental nurse and a practice manager. The practice has eight treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Harley Street Dental Studio was one of the partners.

On the day of inspection we spoke with three patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with five dentists, four dental nurses, two treatment co coordinators, and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: 9.30 – 7.00pm Monday to Thursday, 9.30 -4.00pm Fridays and 9.30 to 3.00pm Saturdays.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which 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. Although improvements could be made in regards to sedation protocols.
• 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 protocols for medicines management and ensure all medicines are dispensed safely and securely.
• Review staff training to ensure that dental nursing staff who are assisting 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.