Updated 26 August 2022
We undertook a follow up focused inspection of Berkhamsted Dental Practice on 17 August 2022. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who had was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We undertook a focused inspection of Berkhamsted Dental Practice on 23 February 2022 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well-led care and was in breach of regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Berkhamsted Dental Practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
When one or more of the five questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan (requirement notice only). We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the area here improvement was required.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is it well-led?
Our findings were:
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 23 February 2022.
Background
The provider has one practice and this report is about Berkhamsted Dental Practice.
Berkhamsted Dental Practice is in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
The dental practice is on the first floor and is accessed by a set of stairs, so it is not accessible to wheelchair users. The provider signposts patients with such needs to other practices nearby. There is car parking available nearby in a multi-story car park.
The dental team includes three specialist dentists, three dental nurses, including one trainee dental nurse, three dental hygienists, and two receptionists. Another dentist who is currently completing foundation training, attends the practice on Saturdays to provide hygienist treatment, and there are two additional visiting specialists. The practice has three treatment rooms.
During the inspection we spoke with one dentist and one dental nurse. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8am to 6pm
Wednesdays from 8.30am to 6pm
Fridays from 8am to 3pm
And occasional Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.