The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Brucegate Dental Practice

2-4 Brucegate, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1LP (01289) 306084

Provided and run by:
Dr Sarah Swales

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

All Inspections

2 November 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 02 November 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; however improvements were needed.
  • Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were not available in accordance with current guidelines.
  • Systems to ensure staff training was being undertaken were not effective.
  • The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment, and the premises but improvements were needed to ensure processes were effective.
  • 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.
  • Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
  • Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • Systems to ensure facilities were being maintained needed to be reviewed.
  • Leadership, oversight and management of systems and processes could be improved.

Background

Brucegate Dental Practice is in Berwick-Upon-Tweed and provides private 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, 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 3 dentists, 8 dental nurses, 2 dental hygienists, 1 practice manager and 2 receptionists. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 2 dental nurses, 1 dental hygienist, 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 – Friday from 8am to 5:30pm

The first Saturday of every month from 9am to 1pm

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.

6 November 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We did not speak to people who used the service during this inspection.

We found the systems in place protected people from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had been followed.

There were appropriate recruitment policies and procedures in place. This meant references were sought and other checks were carried out before new staff started work.

20 August 2012

During a routine inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service to find out their opinions of the treatment provided. Because the practice was busy we contacted two of these people by phone. People were complimentary about the treatment provided. They said their dentist explained things well and that they had been given choices about what treatment to have. One person told us about the extra care the dentist had taken with her because she was nervous about having dental treatment. This person said, 'Coming here gives me the confidence to attend the dentist and that's something I haven't had before.' People told us they felt comfortable and safe in the practice and that the practice was always kept clean and tidy. One person said, 'It's absolutely clean.' However, we found that guidance which tells dentists how they should decontaminate dental instruments so they are properly cleaned between different people's treatments was not always being followed.

People were positive about the staff who worked there. Comments included, 'Reception staff are brilliant. They are cheerful and helpful and put one at ease both before and after treatment' and 'The dentist is very personable and understanding and I feel very confident in their judgment in what needs to be done.' However we found that appropriate checks on staff suitability to work at the practice had not always been carried out before they started work.