• Dentist
  • Dentist

Withington Dental Care

240 Mauldeth Road West, Withington, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M20 1BE (0161) 445 6000

Provided and run by:
Mrs Ala Vitkuniene

Important: We are carrying out a review of quality at Withington Dental Care. We will publish a report when our review is complete. Find out more about our inspection reports.

Latest inspection summary

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Overall inspection

Updated 15 January 2024

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 13 December 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 emergency medicines were available. Checking processes had not identified expired and missing life-saving equipment.
  • The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises, however these were not always followed.
  • There was no safeguarding policy at the practice.
  • The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines. The documentation of care should be improved.
  • 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.
  • Leadership and oversight of the service was not effective.
  • 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 did not have effective information governance arrangements.

Background

Withington Dental Care is in Withington, Manchester and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is no step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 4 dentists, 2 qualified dental nurses, 1 receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has 2 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 2 qualified dental nurses, 1 receptionist 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 to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

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:

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