Hampstead Healthcare

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• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations and had taken into consideration appropriate guidance.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Assessing needs is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The provider had systems to ensure that people who used the service received person-centred care and treatment, that was appropriate, met their needs and was reflective of their personal preferences. All new patient consultations started with a full discussion within the treatment co-ordination room, where treatment aspirations were discussed in depth. Staff believed that carrying out this discussion away from the treatment room helped patients feel more relaxed when talking about their goals for treatment.

Following full assessments, all treatment options were reviewed within the treatment co-ordination room, using dental models, X-rays and photographs to help fully inform patients about all their options before deciding on their treatment plan.

Preventive oral health care was encouraged. The aim for all patients was to have healthy teeth and excellent oral hygiene. Staff also assessed diet and hydration as part of each treatment plan, and water bottles were given as gifts for children, to encourage good hydration.

Staff kept up-to-date with current evidence-based practice, and had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles.

At the time of our inspection, the practice offered conscious sedation for patients through the use of an external sedation service. The practice had a service level agreement with the service to ensure systems included emergency equipment requirements, medicines management, sedation equipment checks, and staff availability and training.

The practice offered orthodontic treatment for patients. The specialist orthodontist carried out a patient assessment in line with recognised guidance from the British Orthodontic Society.

We looked at 9 patient care records. The information recorded in these patient care records was in line with recognised guidance. We saw evidence the dentists justified, graded and reported on the radiographs they took.

Staff obtained patients’ consent for treatment in line with legislation and guidance and understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff described how they involved patients’ relatives or carers when appropriate and made sure they had enough time to explain treatment options clearly.

The practice had systems for prescribing and dispensing of medicines in line with current guidance. They carried out antimicrobial prescribing audits.

Patients were referred to primary and secondary care specialists for treatment the practice did not provide. This included referring patients with suspected cancer under the national faster diagnosis pathways.

Staff felt the practice supported them to develop and enabled them to take on responsibilities. One staff member said, “It is a refreshing place to work in such an environment. It motivates me to continually improve, which brings a real sense of job satisfaction and pride in the care we provide.”

The judgement for How staff, teams and services work together is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Supporting people to live healthier lives is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Monitoring and improving outcomes is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Consent to care and treatment is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.