Lowton Dental Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

We found this practice was providing safe 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 Learning culture is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Safe systems, pathways and transitions is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Safeguarding is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Involving people to manage risks is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

At the assessment on 6 August 2024, we had highlighted where improvements should be made. At the assessment on 15 January 2025, we found the practice had made the following improvements:

Staff knew how to respond to a medical emergency and all staff had completed training in emergency resuscitation and basic life support every year.

Emergency equipment and medicines were available and checked in accordance with national guidance. Since our last visit, the practice had moved the emergency equipment and medicines to a more accessible location to ensure staff could access these in a timely way.

Since our last visit, the practice had installed a new fire detection and emergency lighting system. We saw evidence that this was tested following the manufacturer’s instructions.

The practice had arrangements to ensure the safety of the X-ray equipment, and the required radiation protection information was available. This included cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Since our last visit, the practice had completed all outstanding actions from the 3-yearly routine performance testing of the intra-oral X-ray machines and the annual routine testing report of the CBCT machine.

The practice had risk assessments to minimise the risk that could be caused from substances that are hazardous to health. The practice had made improvements to ensure risk assessments could be accessed in a timely way. However, further improvements should be made to ensure risk assessments were dated when reviewed.

The practice had implemented systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient and staff safety. This included sharps safety. The practice had made improvements to ensure sharps injury posters were displayed in all clinical rooms to ensure staff could access appropriate advice.

At the assessment on 6 August 2024, we had highlighted where improvements should be made. At the assessment on 15 January 2025, we found the practice had made the following improvements:

The practice had implemented a central log to keep track of all staff training. However, we noted on the day of the follow up assessment, 2 staff members had not completed their annual fire awareness training. The practice acted immediately, and these were completed in the days following the assessment.

During the on-site assessment, we checked 2 newly recruited staff files. We noted further improvements were required to ensure the practice sought Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for all new recruits prior to commencing work at the practice.

The provider should consistently follow an effective recruitment procedure to ensure that appropriate checks are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.

At the assessment on 6 August 2024, we had highlighted where improvements should be made. At the assessment on 15 January 2025, we found the practice had made the following improvements:

The practice had implemented documented cleaning schedules for all non-clinical areas, they segregated and disposed of waste safely, including ensuring expired medicines were disposed of appropriately, and the outdoor clinical bin was locked and tethered.

The practice had made improvements to reduce the risk of Legionella, including weekly flushing of infrequently used outlets. However, some temperature checks were not within the temperature ranges required by the risk assessment. The practice had deduced this was due to Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMVs) which reduce the temperature at the tap to prevent scolding and had conducted a risk assessment whilst they wait for an engineer to attend for advice on how to test the temperature at the pipe instead of the tap.

The judgement for Medicines optimisation is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.