Updated 22 September 2021
We carried out this announced inspection on 9 August 2021 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 Care Quality Commission, (CQC), inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing 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:
Are services safe?
We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services effective?
We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
The Grange Dental Surgery is in Bermondsey in the London borough of Southwark and provides NHS and private 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 are available for a fee on roads surrounding the practice. Local transport links include London Bridge national rail services and local bus routes.
The dental team includes a principal dentist, three associate dentists, two dental nurses and three receptionists. The practice has four treatment rooms.
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.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, one of the associate dentists, one of the 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:
9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
(the practice closes for lunch between 1.00-2.00pm but operates reception and telephone services).
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. Improvements were required to ensure items were stored appropriately.
- The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
- The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
- The provider had staff recruitment procedures which broadly reflected current legislation. Improvements were required to ensure staff records were maintained and stored appropriately.
- 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.
- Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
- The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
- The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
- The provider had information governance arrangements.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice.
- Take into account current guidance to ensure the practice stores appropriately records relating to people employed and the management of regulated activities.
- Implement an effective system of checks of medicines taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council, in particular the storage of glucagon.
- Implement a system to ensure patient referrals to other dental or health care professionals are centrally monitored to ensure they are received in a timely manner and not lost.