Golden Triangle Dental Practice

We carried out this announced focused inspection on 5 April 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 specialist dental adviser.

We usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• 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:

• The dental clinic appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and staff took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• The practice had appropriate information governance arrangements in place.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.

Background

Golden Triangle Dental Practice provides both private and NHS dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces for two patients are available on site and there is on street parking for people with Blue Badges. The practice has made some adjustments to support patients with additional needs but does not have a fully accessible toilet.

The dental team includes three dentists, a hygienist, a practice manager, two dental nurses and a receptionist. The practice has four treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the practice manager, one dentist, a dental nurse and a receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open on Mondays to Fridays from 8.30am to 5pm.

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

• Implement an effective recruitment procedure to ensure that appropriate disclosure and barring service checks (DBS) are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.

• Improve the practice's protocols and procedures for the use of X-ray equipment in compliance with The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017. In particular, providing rectangular collimation on all X-ray units.

• Implement a system to ensure that all staff, including the practice manager, receive regular appraisal of their performance.