- Dentist
Trafalgar Woolston Also known as Smile Dental Care Group - Southampton
Assessment report published 23 September 2025
Contents
Judgements
Our view of the service
We carried out this announced on-site inspection on 22 May 2025.
We found the practice had not met all regulations.
There was a lack of effective leadership and improvements were required to the oversight of the practice to enable the provider to identify where quality of the service was being compromised.
Not all risks associated with undertaking of regulated activities had been suitably identified and mitigated.
Recruitment procedures required improving to ensure that these consistently adhered to current legislation.
Improvements were needed to the infection control procedures to ensure these always reflected current guidance.
Patients’ care and treatment was provided in line with current guidance.
Patients were treated with dignity and respect and at the time of our inspection, could access care, support and treatment when required.
Trafalgar Woolston is part of Smile Dental Care, a dental group provider. The practice is in Woolston and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There was step-free access to the practice and car parking spaces available, including dedicated parking for disabled people, near the practice.
The practice had 3 treatment rooms.At the time of our inspection, there were 4 dentists, 2 dental nurses, 2 trainee dental nurses, 3 receptionists and the practice manager. We gathered feedback from staff and spoke to a range of staff during our inspection, including 2 dentists, 2 dental nurses, 1 trainee dental nurse, the practice manager, the area manager, business development manager, operations director and director for the group.
The provider was not complying with regulation 17, good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are within the inspection findings below.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this inspection.
People's experience of this service
Two weeks before our inspection, we asked the practice to encourage patients to share their views of the service with us. We received feedback from 15 patients. On the day of our inspection, we saw patient feedback from a further 4 patients. Patient feedback provided a positive view of the dental team and care provided by the practice.
Findings from patient feedback questionnaires demonstrated that people were positive about the standards of cleanliness. Patients responded positively that they were able to book appointments within an acceptable timescale for their needs, they were given clear information to help them make an informed choice about their treatment and any associated costs.
The practice shared patient feedback with the team. We were told this was reviewed and where suggestions had been made, appropriate action would be taken.