Hockley Heath Dental Care

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• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations and had taken into consideration appropriate guidance.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Assessing needs is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The provider had systems to ensure that people who used the service received person-centred care and treatment, that was appropriate, met their needs and was reflective of their personal preferences. Preventive oral health care was encouraged.

Improvements were required to the systems to ensure that staff kept up-to-date with current evidence-based practice, and had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles.

We looked at a sample of patient care records. We saw evidence the dentists justified, graded and reported on the radiographs they took. Not all patient records we saw clearly demonstrated that staff obtained patients’ consent for treatment in line with legislation and guidance on each occasion. The sample of patient records we reviewed did not demonstrate that treatment plans were consistently available. Where treatment plans had been completed, we noted that they were not always signed by the patient to confirm their understanding of, and agreement to, the proposed treatment. The practice used electronic tablets to complete medical history and consent forms. We were informed that, on some occasions, treatment plans may not have been signed before the patient left the practice because the electronic tablets were being used by other patients. Following the inspection, we received confirmation that additional electronic tablets would be purchased to enable treatment plans and consent documentation to be completed and signed more readily within the dental surgery.

Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff described how they involved patients’ relatives or carers when appropriate and made sure they had enough time to explain treatment options clearly.

The practice had systems for prescribing and dispensing of medicines in line with current guidance. They carried out antimicrobial prescribing audits, although there was no summary or action plan for this audit.

Patients were referred to primary and secondary care specialists for treatment the practice did not provide. This included referring patients with suspected cancer under the national faster diagnosis pathways.

Staff felt the practice supported them to develop and enabled them to take on responsibilities. Staff commented that the management were available to answer any questions and provide support.

The judgement for How staff, teams and services work together is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Supporting people to live healthier lives is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Monitoring and improving outcomes is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Consent to care and treatment is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.