The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Wallington Dental Surgery

35 Montagu Gardens, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 8EP (020) 8647 1135

Provided and run by:
Dr Kirupambikai Thillainathan

All Inspections

3 August 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 3 August 2023 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 advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 questions:

  • Is it safe?
  • Is it effective?
  • Is it caring?
  • Is it responsive to people’s needs?
  • 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 clean and well-maintained.
  • The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
  • The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment, and the premises. Improvements were required to ensure X-ray equipment was serviced annually.
  • Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
  • The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
  • There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Staff felt involved, supported, and worked as a team.
  • Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
  • The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

Wallington Dental Surgery is in Wallington in the London Borough of Sutton and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Unrestricted parking is available on roads near the practice.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, 2 associate dentists, 1 orthodontist, 2 dental nurses, 3 trainee dental nurses, 3 dental hygienists and 2 receptionists. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, 2 associate dentists and a dental nurse. We looked at practice policies, procedures, and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

9am to 6pm Monday to Friday

8am to 2pm Saturdays

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

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 and taking into account the guidance for Dental Practitioners on the Safe Use of X-ray Equipment.

9 November 2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 9 November 2017 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 provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

We told the NHS England area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. They did not provide any information..

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it caring?

• Is it responsive to people’s needs?

• Is it well-led?

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

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Wallington Dental Surgery is in Wallington and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access via a ramp for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Parking is not restricted in the local area so patients can park close to the surgery.

The dental team includes four dentists, one dental nurse, two trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist, and two receptionists. The practice has three treatment rooms, a reception area, patient waiting room, staff kitchen, decontamination room and utility room.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection we collected 46 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with three other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, the dental nurse, one of the trainee dental nurses and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday and Tuesdays 8.00-6.00pm; Wednesday 8.00-7.00pm; Thursday 10.00-8.00pm; Friday 8.00-5.30pm and Saturday 8.00-3.00pm.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice was clean and well maintained.
  • The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
  • The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
  • The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
  • The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
  • The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
  • The appointment system met patients’ needs.
  • The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
  • The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
  • The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

1 March 2013

During a routine inspection

We found that people were involved in treatment planning and making decisions about their dental care. People were given enough information to ensure they could make an informed choice about which course of treatment they wished to follow. Dentists and staff were described as ''very caring and very friendly".

The practice followed infection control procedures to ensure that the environment and all dental equipment and tools were hygienic and clean. People told us that the practice was always clean and one person described it as ''spotless, surgery is beautiful.''

People told us that they were always satisfied with the care and treatment they received. One person stated that they were "more than happy, more than satisfied." Another person we spoke to explained they had been to "so many dentists before but never as happy as here; very caring and explain everything". We found staff to be welcoming and respectful. Staff were knowledgeable and evidence of training and continued professional development was seen for all staff.

We found that all records were produced promptly and systems were in place to ensure the safe delivery of care and treatment for people who use the services.