Meet Emma Bednarczyk from the High Street Smiles dental practice in Golborne, near Warrington. High Street Smiles was selected to be part of the pilot inspections process for CQC’s new approach to inspecting dental practices.
Our CQC inspector John Evans spoke to two patients who used the service on the day of the inspection and reviewed 45 CQC comment cards that had been completed by patients prior to the inspection. The patients were very complimentary about the service. They told us they found the staff to be extremely friendly and welcoming, and felt that they were treated with respect.
You can read what registered manager Emma had to say about the practice’s experience of our new approach to dental inspection below.
Preparing for the inspection:
“Our CQC inspector John contacted us about 2 weeks before the inspection. He advised us what would happen on the day, how long he wanted to spend at the practice and asked us to collate some information beforehand regarding our patient complaint system. John also asked us to think about how we treat our vulnerable patients on a day-to-day basis - if any.
We were also informed that we would receive all the same information via email and a preparation form to complete and return prior to the assessment. I gave him some information about current staff at the practice and which of those would be available to chat with on the day.
The information John gave me was very helpful, and although I was aware of all areas of compliance, it was very helpful to know what subjects were likely to be discussed. It also saved time on the day so that we could start the inspection right away on John’s arrival.”
On the day of the inspection:
“John arrived at the practice at about 9.30am and left around 1pm. I introduced myself and gave a brief outline of our staff and the details of what a typical week looked like at the practice.
I gave John a tour of the practice, introducing our staff along the way. I then discussed a few policies and procedures with John and provided him with all of my files for him to look through. I was asked about our complaints system and how we log and monitor them.
Following this John spoke directly to various members of staff including our decontamination nurse, dental nurse, receptionist and one dentist. John also spoke with some patients in the waiting area, and he collected the CQC comments cards as well as our own in-house comment cards and questionnaires.
The inspection concluded with some general feedback and I was given information on what happens with the inspection findings, who it then gets passed to and how long it would take to be published once we were happy with the draft report.”
Reflecting on the inspection process:
“I think our dentists have found the new CQC inspection process and reports useful as it’s now broken down into the 5 main questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led), and the inspection covered all areas of compliance rather than choosing certain areas.
We’re pleased to know that we are achieving good standards across the board and this gives us a platform to work from as well as the confidence that what we are doing every day is of a good enough standard for our patients.
My advice to another dental practice being inspected would be to remain relaxed about the process. You will be more confident when showing how you achieve the standards that are being inspected. It also puts your inspector at ease, creating a good relationship to then work through the inspection and identify areas for improvement.”
Download a more detailed guide to how CQC inspects.