Zenith Dental Clinic Ltd

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 15 February 2024 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 not always available.
• There was scope for improvement with 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.
• 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

Zenith Dental Clinic Ltd is in Nottingham and provides private dental care and treatment for adults.

The dental clinic is located within a larger cosmetic clinic and is not accessible for people who use wheelchairs and those with reduced mobility. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the building. The provider had made reasonable adjustments to support visitors to the building with access requirements but this did not include the dental service.

The dental team includes 4 dentists, 1 dental nurse and 1 practice manager. The practice has 1 treatment room.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 dental nurse, the provider and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday from 9am to 5pm.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to 5.30pm.

One Saturday per month from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

The practice had taken steps to improve environmental sustainability. For example, choosing environmentally friendly delivery methods including recyclable packaging and materials. Reducing paper usage, switching off lights when not required and encouraging recycling.

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

• Take action to ensure the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.
• Improve the practice's systems for checking and monitoring equipment taking into account relevant guidance and ensure that all equipment is well maintained. In particular, ensure autoclaves are serviced annually.
• Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.
• Take action to ensure audits of radiography and infection prevention and control are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. Practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.