Archived: Moor Park Specialist Dental Centre

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 25 April 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.
• The practice had 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.
• 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 effective leadership and a 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 corporate group (Dentex Healthcare Group), who have multiple locations and this report is about Moor Park Specialist Dental Centre.

Moor Park Specialist Dental Centre is in Moor Park, Northwood, Middlesex and provides private specialist 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. Car parking spaces are available outside the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 14 dentists, including specialists in Orthodontics, Endodontics, Periodontics, Oral Surgery, Paediatrics, and Prosthodontics. In addition, there are 2 Associate dentists and a sedationist, 7 dental nurses, 2 dental hygienists, a practice manager, a business manager and 4 receptionists. Additional governance support is provided by the corporate group. The practice has 7 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 3 dentists, the sedationist, 2 dental nurses, 2 receptionists the practice manager, the business manager and 2 compliance advisors from the corporate group. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Mondays to Thursdays from 8am to 5.30pm

Fridays from 8am to 4.30pm

Saturdays from 8am to 4pm

The practice had taken steps to improve environmental sustainability by becoming virtually paperless and by not using plastic wherever possible. The practice also used digital x-ray systems to reduce the amount of radiation released into the environment.

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

• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records.

• Take action to ensure audits of radiography, infection prevention and control and record keeping are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. The practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.

• Improve the practice's protocols and procedures for the use of lasers taking into consideration Lasers, intense light source systems and LEDs: guidance for safe use in medical, surgical, dental and aesthetic practices (MHRA, September 2015).