4 September 2013
During a routine inspection
Staff we spoke with were friendly and helpful. Patients told us that the dentists were good at explaining what they were going to do and that they were always asked to update their medical history. One said, 'I'm ready for the treatment today. I know what to expect.' We saw that detailed patient records were kept in both computer and paper formats and that patients had signed authorisation and medical history forms.
The dental centre was clean and hygienic and we saw staff cleaning the treatment rooms after each patient. There were records confirming that the decontamination equipment had been serviced regularly and that daily checks were being undertaken. There had also been regular audits of the decontamination process. We were told that there were plans to refurbish the dental centre in the near future and install a separate decontamination room.
Feedback from staff was positive. Staff we spoke with told us they enjoyed working at the centre, liked the patients and found colleagues helpful and supportive. We saw that recruitment and selection of new staff followed a clear path and we saw that the required checks had been made for the most recently appointed staff members.
Patients had been asked to give their views via a patient survey and there were a variety of initiatives being followed to assess and monitor the quality of the service. This included oversight and monitoring from the provider.