Bupa Dental Care Soho

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 22 May 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 appeared 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 were needed to ensure that temperature sensitive medicines were stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment, and the premises. Improvements were needed to ensure that all clinical staff had immunity against the Hepatitis B virus.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation. Improvements were needed so that relevant information was sought when temporary staff worked at the practice.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved, 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 practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

Bupa Dental Care Soho is part of Bupa Dental Care, a group dental care provider.

The practice is in the London Borough of Westminster and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 8 dentists, 4 dental nurses, 2 dental hygienists, a practice manager and 3 receptionists.

The practice has 4 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 dental hygienist, 2 dental nurses, and the practice manager. We also spoke with the practice area manager.

We looked at practice policies, procedures, and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open between:

8am and 8pm on Mondays and Wednesdays

8am and 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays

8am and 3pm on Fridays

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

• 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.
• Take action to ensure that all clinical staff have adequate immunity for vaccine preventable infectious diseases
• Take action to assess the risks where the dental hygienists worked without chairside support.