Updated 28 November 2023
We undertook a follow up focused inspection of The Smile Studios: Richmond on 15 November 2023. This inspection was carried out to review the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who had remote access to a specialist dental advisor.
We had previously undertaken a comprehensive inspection of The Smile Studios: Richmond on 31 August 2023 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well-led care and was in breach of regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for The Smile Studios: Richmond dental practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
When 1 or more of the 5 questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the area(s) where improvement was required.
As part of this inspection we asked:
- Is it well-led?
Our findings were:
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 31 August 2023.
Background
The provider has 4 practices and this report is about The Smile Studios: Richmond.
The Smile Studios: Richmond is in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There are 5 steps leading to the entrance of the practice so it is unsuitable for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice. The premises are within a listed building so the provider is unable to make substantial adjustments.
The dental team includes the principal dentist, 2 associate dentists, 1 specialist orthodontist, 3 dental nurses, 1 dental hygienist, 1 practice manager and 3 receptionists. Treatment under conscious sedation is provided occasionally by visiting sedationists. The practice has 4 treatment rooms.
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During the inspection we spoke with the practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 8.30am to 6pm
Tuesday & Thursday from 8.30am to 7pm
Saturday from 8.30am to 4pm
Sunday from 9.30am to 6pm