Archived: Nantwich Smile Design

The information we received indicated that infection control procedures and protocols were not always followed at the dental practice and the maintenance and availability of equipment were inadequate. Our inspection did not find any evidence to substantiate these concerns.

The standard of the environment throughout the practice was good and appeared clean, tidy and well maintained. A number of infection prevention and control measures were in place providing clear instruction for staff on processes such as cleaning and decontamination of equipment. The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) recommended tools for auditing infection control processes were not used.

Evidence was available to demonstrate that equipment was repaired when required and that maintenance contracts for dental equipment and for the safe disposal of waste products were in place. We observed that there were sufficient quantities of personal protective clothing such as gloves, aprons and masks available.

Staff confirmed to us that they had no concerns regarding the availability of protective clothing or equipment to use in the practice.

We did not speak with any patients at this inspection visit.

We spoke to four members of staff including the practice manager who told us that they enjoyed working there and that they prided themselves on providing an excellent service to their patients. We looked at the staff training records and saw that the staff regularly received training to keep them up to date with changes.

We looked at the cleanliness of the surgery and the safety processes that they have in place to protect the health of their patients. We looked at the processes and procedures that the surgery carried out to ensure that they were providing quality care for patients. We looked at their complaints procedure and found that it was clear and a copy was given to all new patients.