Dental Specialists - St Albans

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 18 January 2023 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 dental clinic was visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. Improvements could be made to the storage of some emergency medicines.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and staff took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and 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 dental clinic had information governance arrangements.
• The practice had a staff recruitment policy and procedures which reflected current legislation. However, we found that the procedures had not always been followed, as not all staff records included evidence of vaccination for Hepatitis B.

Background

The provider has 3 practices, and this report is about Dental Specialists - St Albans.

Dental Specialists - St Albans is in St Albans and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children. In addition, the practice has an NHS contract to provide orthodontics.

There are 3 steps leading into the practice and the practice does not have a portable ramp which means it is not accessible for people who use wheelchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available in a multi-story car park near the practice.

The dental team includes 4 dentists including specialist dentists in orthodontics, endodontics and periodontics, 1 dental nurse, 2 trainee dental nurses, 1 dental therapist/hygienist and a practice manager. The practice has 2 treatment rooms, although 1 treatment room is currently not in use.

During the inspection we spoke with a dentist, the dental nurse, both trainee dental nurses, and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Implement audits for the prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry and ensure that audits of radiography and record keeping are carried out for all clinicians as recommended in guidance.
• Implement an effective system for monitoring and recording the fridge temperature to ensure that medicines and dental care products are being stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.
• Improve the practice's recruitment procedures to ensure accurate, complete and detailed records are maintained for all staff. In particular, that all clinical staff have been vaccinated against Hepatitis B.