Updated 16 August 2024
We had previously undertaken a comprehensive inspection of Dental Arts- Harrogate on 24 July 2024 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 safe or well-led care and was in breach of regulations 12 and 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We undertook a follow up focused assessment on 6 September 2024. This assessment was carried out to review the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements. Although the provider had made some improvements, these were not sufficient, and we found that the practice had still not met all regulations. While there were still unresolved issues related to the safe key question, these were around systems and oversight. The impact of our concerns, in terms of the safety of clinical care, was minor for patients using the service. The practice did not have sufficient systems to manage risks. Recruitment procedures did not reflect current legislation. Leadership was ineffective and there was not a culture of continuous improvement. Dental Arts is in Harrogate and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children. At the time of our assessment, the dental team included 2 dentists, 1 dental nurse, 1 agency dental nurse and a visiting dentist who attends occasionally to place dental implants. The practice had 2 treatment rooms. During the assessment we spoke with 1 dentist 1 dental nurse and 1 agency dental nurse. The provider was not complying with all of the regulations. Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are within the quality statement section of the report. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.