The Lee-on-the-Solent Dental Surgery

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations and had taken into consideration appropriate guidance.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Assessing needs is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The provider had systems to ensure that people who used the service received person-centred care and treatment, that was appropriate, met their needs and was reflective of their personal preferences. Preventive oral health care was encouraged.

Improvements could be made to ensure up to date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance was accessible, including those published by the College of General Dentistry.

Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles. “[The dentist] does encourage us to attend yearly CPD courses and advises of any changes which impact us.”

We looked at 6 patient care records. The practice should take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records. The hand-written dental care records we saw were not detailed or always legible. In particular, dental care records did not consistently record consent, risk ratings, extra-oral examinations, diagnoses, treatment options or documentation of discussions with patients. We did not see evidence the dentists always justified and reported on the radiographs they took. Following our feedback, the provider told us they would improve the clinical record keeping audit process to identify shortfalls and implement improvements.

Staff obtained patients’ consent for treatment in line with legislation and guidance and understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff described how they involved patients’ relatives or carers when appropriate and made sure they had enough time to explain treatment options clearly.

The practice had systems for prescribing and dispensing of medicines in line with current guidance. They carried out antimicrobial prescribing audits.

Patients were referred to primary and secondary care specialists for treatment the practice did not provide. This included referring patients with suspected cancer under the national faster diagnosis pathways.

Staff felt the practice supported them to develop and enabled them to take on responsibilities. “I feel supported as part of a happy team.”

The judgement for How staff, teams and services work together is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Supporting people to live healthier lives is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Monitoring and improving outcomes is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Consent to care and treatment is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.