Updated 25 August 2021
We carried out this announced inspection on 14 July 2021 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 provider 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 adviser.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions. However, due to the ongoing pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:
• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it well-led?
These are three of the five questions that form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services effective?
We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
Tavistock Dental is located in Kings Cross: London borough of Camden and provides private dental treatment to adults and children. The practice is easily accessible by international rail services, Transport for London underground and bus services and is within easy access to local amenities. Paid parking spaces are available near the practice including for blue badge holders.
The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC as the registered manager. Registered managers 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 registered manager at Tavistock Dental is one of the principal dentists. The provider is registered to provide the regulated activities of treatment of disease, disorder or injury, surgical procedures and diagnostic and screening procedures from four locations.
There are three treatment rooms - one of which is wheelchair accessible, reception/waiting area, separate decontamination room and x-ray area, staff area and a toilet.
The dental team is made up of the two principal dentists, a specialist in dental implants, a periodontist, an endodontist, an oral surgeon, two dental hygienists, three dental nurses-one of whom is a trainee and a reception staff. They are supported by a full-time practice manager.
The practice is open between 7.30am and 8.00pm Monday to Thursday and 7.30am to 5.00pm on Friday. During out of hours, patients are advised to contact the dedicated telephone number to access emergency care.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentists, the practice manager and a dental nurse. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
Our key findings were:
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
- The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
- The provider offered a variety of specialist treatment to patients.
- The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
- The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
- Clinicians participated in quality initiatives including audits which were used to improve services.
- There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health publication ‘Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention’ when promoting the maintenance of good oral health.
- Develop systems to ensure an effective process is established for training, learning and development needs of individual staff members at appropriate intervals.
- Take action to ensure that conscious sedation for dental procedures is undertaken taking into account guidelines published by The Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry in the document 'Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care 2015'.