St John's Dental Practice

During our visit we met with the practice manager. We looked at practice records, reviewed practice systems and the premises. We did not speak with patients because this was a follow up visit.

We found that the practice had made significant improvements to the room used for decontamination of dental instruments. We saw that additional cleaning equipment had been purchased and that cleaning instructions had been updated.

There was evidence that the practice had introduced effective systems to seek and act upon patient's views. The practice had carried out clinical audits aimed at influencing and improving patient care.

People we spoke with told us they understood treatment proposed and were given choices when appropriate. One person told us "They've explained the options and fees. I can choose". People told us they had a choice of appointment times. A person said "Appointments are available when convenient and required".

People we spoke with were happy with the treatment they received. One person told us "I came here from recommendation" and "I would recommend to others". Another person said "The dentist explains the treatment as they are going along".

We observed that the practice was clean and that many decontamination procedures were being carried out in line with current decontamination guidance. However, there were omissions which needed to be addressed.

We found that some staff employment checks had not been carried out at the time of recruitment.

Staff were happy with the support they received. One member of staff told us "I'm very happy with my dentist. It feels like a team, she listens to me". We found that some records relating to supporting staff were not completed.

The provider did not have effective and adequate systems in place to monitor the quality of service that people received. People were asked for their feedback but responses were not followed up or discussed.