Mydentist - Plaistow Road - London Also known as my dentist

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 17 March 2023 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 practice 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 advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

• The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• Improvements were needed to the practice systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation. Improvements were needed so that these procedures were adequately followed and suitably monitored.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• There was lack of an effective oversight. Improvements were needed to the leadership in order to support an effective culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

The provider is part of a dental group with multiple locations, and this report is about MyDentist -Plaistow Road - London.

The practice is in the London Borough of Newham and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There is limited car parking available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 2 dentists, 2 qualified dental nurses and 1 trainee dental nurse, 1 dental hygienist, 1 practice manager and 1 receptionist. A management team supports the practice team.

The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 dental nurse and 1 dental hygienist. We also spoke with members of the management team.

We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Improve the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure accurate, complete and detailed records are maintained for all staff.
• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records.
• Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.