Whalley Dental Limited

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 13 February 2024 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 practice 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 advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

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

Our findings were:

• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. Improvements were needed to ensure these protocols were consistently followed.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• Improvements were needed to the systems for managing risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation. Improvements were needed to ensure these protocols were consistently followed.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained. Improvements were needed to the cleaning equipment storage arrangements.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

Whalley Dental Limited is part of Carholme Dental Group. The practice is in Whalley in Lancashire and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice is located close to local transport routes and car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 3 dentists, 5 dental nurses (including 3 trainees), 1 dental therapist, 1 practice manager and a receptionist. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 2 dentists, 2 dental nurses, and the practice manager. The team were supported by the area manager and group compliance lead. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm

Friday from 9am to 4pm

The practice is closed for lunch from 12.30pm to 1.30pm daily.

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:

• Ensure staff are completing the audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines accurately, taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry. Improve the practice protocols regarding auditing patient dental care records to check that necessary information is recorded. In addition, the practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.
• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records.