White Hart Lane Clinic Limited

We found that infection control procedures in place followed the published guidelines from the Department of Health and they were effective. Equipment in use for the decontamination of used dental instruments was found to be operating correctly. Records were now being kept to reflect that the necessary maintenance checks had been carried out. After sterilisation, instruments were packaged, sealed, dated and stored appropriately.

The provider was monitoring and assessing the services they provided in order to identify areas for improvement. This was achieved through patient surveys, staff feedback and audits of their systems and processes. One staff member spoken with said, "We have staff meetings and we are asked for our views to help improve things."

Records held about the management of the service were readily available for us to view. Where these contained confidential information about staff members or people who used the service they were securely stored.

We found that information in the form of posters and leaflets described the services offered at the practice. People spoken with told us they were involved in the planning and care of their treatment and that their privacy and dignity was protected. One person we spoke with said, "They are great dentists here. It's clean and hygienic and I always get a clear explanation of any treatments I need and I am very happy with the work they do."

Patient records contained assessments of a person's oral health. Treatments were discussed and explained to people using the service. People we spoke with were very complimentary about the dental care they received and it met their needs.

When we looked at infection control procedures we found that the practice were not fully following the guidelines outlined by the Department of Health. This meant that people using the service and staff were at risk of exposure to a health care related infection.

Staff we spoke with felt supported in the workplace. They received annual appraisals and informal supervision. They were encouraged to undertake their continuous professional development training. We were unable to view records to confirm this and other training.

The provider did not have a system in place to effectively monitor the quality of service they provided.