Abbey Dental South Harrow

Updated 24 September 2015

We carried out an announced, comprehensive inspection on 29 June 2015. The inspection took place over one day. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was accompanied by a dentist specialist advisor.

We reviewed information received from the provider prior to the inspection. We also informed the NHS England area team and the local Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice; however we did not receive any information or concern from them.

During our inspection visit, we reviewed policy documents and dental care records. We spoke with eight members of staff, including the management team. We conducted a tour of the practice and looked at the storage arrangements for emergency medicines and equipment. We observed dental nurses carrying out decontamination procedures of dental instruments and also observed staff interacting with patients in the waiting area.

We reviewed 45 Care Quality Commission (CQC) comment cards completed by patients and spoke with two patients in the waiting area. Patients we spoke with and those who completed comment cards were positive about the care they received from the practice. They were complimentary about the friendly and caring attitude of the dental staff.

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

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

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 24 September 2015

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 29 June 2015 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

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

Are services effective?

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

Are services caring?

We found that this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

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

Are services well-led?

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

Background

Abbey Dental South Harrow is located in Harrow, North West London. The practice provides NHS and private dental services and treats both adults and children. The practice offers a wide range of dental services including general, cosmetic, restorative and preventive dentistry.

The staff structure of the practice is comprised of four dentists, two hygienists, two dental nurses, a practice manager and a small team of receptionists.

The practice is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.30 pm and closes for lunch from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm.

The practice manager is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a CQC inspector and a dentist specialist advisor.

We received 45 CQC comment cards completed by patients and spoke with three patients during our inspection visit. Patients we spoke with, and those who completed comment cards, were positive about the care they received from the practice. They were complimentary about the friendly and caring attitude of the staff.

Our key findings were:

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with national guidance, such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP).

• Equipment, such as the air compressor, autoclave, washer disinfector, fire extinguishers, oxygen cylinder, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and X-ray equipment had all been checked for effectiveness and had been regularly serviced.

• The practice ensured staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients including mandatory training and annual appraisal.

• Patients reported that they felt they were listened to and that they received good care from a helpful and respectful practice team.

• The practice had implemented clear procedures for managing comments, concerns or complaints, proactively sought feedback from patients and staff and acted on it to improve the service provided.

• There was a clear vision for the practice and staff told us they were well supported by the management team.

• There were governance arrangements in place and the practice effectively used audits to monitor and improve the quality of care provided.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’