Archived: West Croydon Dental Practice

Updated 10 October 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The inspection was carried out on 14 September 2016 by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser. Prior to the inspection, we asked the practice to send us some information that we reviewed. This included the complaints they had received in the last 12 months, their latest statement of purpose, and the details of their staff members including proof of registration with their professional bodies.

During the inspection, we spoke with the principal dentist, a trainee dental nurse and receptionist and reviewed policies, procedures and other documents. We received feedback from 12 patients via comment cards that we had asked patients to complete, and also speaking with patients.

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 10 October 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 14 September 2016 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

West Croydon Dental Practice is a mixed NHS dental practice in Croydon. The practice is situated in a converted residential property. The practice is set out over three floors and has four dental treatment rooms, a patient waiting room with reception, a separate decontamination room for cleaning, sterilising and packing dental instruments and a staff office.

The practice is a training practice for the Dental Foundation Training (DFT) scheme. DFT provides postgraduate dental education for newly qualified dentists in their first (foundation) year of practice; usually within general dental practices. The principal dentist (also the registered manager) is a trainer for the DFT scheme and provides clinical and educational supervision. The practice currently has one dentist who is in their first (foundation) year of practice.

The practice is open 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays and from 9.00am to 8.00pm on Thursdays. The practice has four dentist, three trainee dental nurses, a hygienist and an administrator.