• Dentist
  • Dentist

Dencall - Palmers Community Hospital

The Palmer Community Hospital, Wear Street, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, NE32 3UX (01207) 503020

Provided and run by:
Dencall 2005 Ltd

All Inspections

4 May 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this announced focused inspection on 4 May 2022 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 location 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 adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it well-led?

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

Our findings were:

  • The dental clinic was visibly clean and well-maintained.
  • The dental clinic 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 dental clinic had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
  • Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect and staff took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
  • There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
  • Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
  • The dental clinic had information governance arrangements.

Background

Dencall 2005 Ltd operates as part of the Dental Clinical Assessment Service (DCAS) to provide out of hours, urgent and emergency NHS dental care across North East England and Cumbria. Dental nurses from Dencall 2005 Ltd undertake triage of callers experiencing urgent dental issues to ensure those in need of dental care receive this within an appropriate timescale.

Dencall 2005 Ltd has four locations; this report is about Dencall – Palmers Community Hospital, Jarrow, South Tyneside.

Dencall 2005 Ltd have a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust to utilise a treatment room, storage facilities and equipment in the Palmer Community Hospital.

There is level access into the dental clinic for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available in the hospital grounds.

The Dencall 2005 Ltd team includes two directors, an operational lead, two operational managers, an office administrator, six DCAS dentists, 25 dental surgeons, 40 dental triage nurses and 20 dental nurses. On-call staff work in rotation at Palmer Community Hospital.

During the inspection we spoke with the directors, the operational lead, one operational manager and a dental nurse.

The dental clinic is open:

Monday to Friday 6pm to 11pm; appointments are triaged and booked into the clinic according to treatment need.

Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 9am to 11pm.

There are fixed clinic times during these hours to provide face-to-face treatment to patients where triage shows this is required.

12, 17 March 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service during our inspection. They were both positive about the service and had accessed the service via the NHS 111 telephone number.

One person told us they had 'no difficulty accessing the service' which they thought was 'brilliant'. The other person said the service was 'excellent' and the staff were 'nice and explained everything'. We saw that people were asked about their medical history and previous treatment prior to their assessment.

The service followed the appropriate guidance regarding the risk of infection. We saw that the treatment areas were clean and organised.

The provider could demonstrate that the appropriate checks were in place regarding the vetting of staff who worked within the service. There was an effective system in place to assess and monitor the quality of service.