Chelsea Dental Clinic

We carried out this unannounced focused inspection on 6 May 2022 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 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 second inspector and a specialist dental adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions. However, this inspection was in response to concerns received by the Commission and we focused on two key questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it well-led?

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

Our findings were:

• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained. However, improvements were needed to ensure that the required cleaning equipment was available and stored appropriately.
• The practice had infection control procedures which broadly reflected published guidance. However, improvements were needed to ensure the effectiveness of the decontamination process.
• Risks to staff and patients from undertaking of regulated activities had not been suitably identified and mitigated.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines; however, improvements were needed to ensure that information related to patient care was suitably recorded within the dental care records.
• There was ineffective governance and leadership, and a lack of oversight of the day-to-day management of the service.
• There were systems in place to ensure the dental equipment was serviced regularly. However, improvements were required to ensure that the premises were safe and radiography equipment were regularly serviced in line with the manufacturer`s guidance.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which broadly reflected current legislation. However, improvements were needed to ensure that documentation in relation to the persons employed was monitored and maintained adequately.
• There were ineffective systems to ensure that staff training was appropriately monitored.

Background

Chelsea Dental Clinic is in Fulham in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The practice is located close to public transport links and car parking spaces are available nearby.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, five associate dentists, three qualified dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse, a compliance head nurse, one dental hygienist, three dental therapists, one receptionist, one head receptionist who also acts as treatment coordinator and a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke in person with the trainee dental nurse, two qualified dental nurses, one dental therapist, the head receptionist and over the phone with 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 9am to 6pm.

Saturdays and Sundays by appointment only.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.