The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Younghusband & Associates Dental Surgery

62a Beddington Gardens, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 0HW (020) 8647 3239

Provided and run by:
Dr. John Younghusband

All Inspections

27 January 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We undertook a follow up desk-based review of Younghusband & Associates Dental Surgery on 27 January 2022. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.

The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who had access to a specialist dental adviser.

We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Younghusband & Associates Dental Surgery on 23 September 2021 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well led care and was in breach of regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Younghusband & Associates Dental Surgery dental practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.

When one or more of the five questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the area where improvement was required.

As part of this inspection we asked:

• Is it well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 23 September 2021.

Background

Younghusband & Associates Dental Surgery is in the London Borough of Sutton and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for people with disabilities, are available near the practice. The practice has made adjustments to support patients with additional needs.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, two dentists, two dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse and a receptionist. The practice has four treatment rooms.

For the desk top review, we reviewed evidence sent to us by the provider and also carried out a telephone interview with the principal dentist.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm (closed between 1.00pm to 2.00pm for lunch).

23 September 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this announced inspection on 23 September 2021 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 provider 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 adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Younghusband & Associates is in the London Borough of Sutton and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access into the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for people with disabilities, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, two associate dentists, two dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse, a dental hygienist and a receptionist. The practice has four treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, both associate dentists, both dental nurses and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm (closed between 1.00pm and 2.00pm for lunch).

Our key findings were:

  • The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
  • The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
  • The provider had information governance arrangements.
  • Improvements were required with regards to maintaining electrical equipment and maintenance checks to equipment.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. Improvements were required with regards to monitoring expiry of equipment.
  • Improvements were required to systems for managing patient risks.

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:

  • Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice.

During a check to make sure that the improvements required had been made

At our previous inspection in July 2013 we found the provider's arrangements for safeguarding vulnerable adults were in need of improvement. We asked the provider to send us an action plan on this and to report what they had done. We reviewed evidence that demonstrated the provider's compliance in this area.

We were told that all staff had had been provided with relevant training on the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. The provider had also obtained an up to date policy on safeguarding vulnerable adults and shared the information with all staff working at the practice.

This meant that further arrangements were in place for the provider to respond appropriately to any allegation of abuse.

4, 9 July 2013

During a routine inspection

During our inspection visit, we spoke with six patients, four members of staff, including two dentists and the practice manager. People that used the practice told us that they were happy with the services provided. All said they were given enough information about their treatment options and the relevant fees, and were able to ask all the questions they wanted to. One person told us, 'my dentist explains everything very carefully' and another person said, 'I feel relaxed here, all the staff are very nice.'

People told us that appointments were usually on time and that the practice managed emergency appointments well. One person said their dentist 'goes out of his way to fit you in when there's an emergency.'

We saw that staff were polite and attentive when people arrived at the practice and when arranging appointments with people over the telephone. People we met told us the staff were helpful and friendly. One person who had used the practice for many years described their dentist as 'terrific'. Another person said, 'I am always really, really pleased.'

All areas of the practice appeared clean, tidy and hygienic. People told us that the practice was clean and tidy and had no concerns about hygiene standards.

The provider's arrangements for safeguarding vulnerable adults were in need of improvement however.