• Dentist
  • Dentist

Great Northern Road Dental Clinic

84 Great Northern Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4BT (01582) 663444

Provided and run by:
Anthony Lipschitz

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

We had undertaken a comprehensive inspection of Great Northern Road Dental Clinic on 11 December 2023 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection had been undertaken using our previous methodology. We found the registered provider was not providing safe, effective or well-led care and was in breach of regulations 17, 18 and 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We undertook a follow up focused assessment on 21 May 2024. This assessment was carried out to review the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements. The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breaches we found at our inspection on 11 December 2023: Infection control procedures followed published guidance. The practice had improved systems for governance and for managing risks. Recruitment procedures reflected current legislation. Great Northern Road Dental Clinic is in Dunstable and provides NHS and 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 with the use of a ramp. Car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements. At the time of our assessment, the dental team includes 4 dentists, 1 orthodontist, 4 dental nurses, 1 trainee dental nurse, 2 dental hygienists, 1 practice manager and 2 receptionists. The practice has 5 treatment rooms. During the inspection we spoke with 2 dentists, 1 of whom was also the owner, 1 dental nurse and the practice manager.

11 December 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 11 December 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:

  • Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Improvements were needed to ensure patients’ personal information was stored securely.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs and 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.
  • Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
  • The dental clinic appeared generally clean yet there were areas where cleanliness could be improved for example some drawers and cupboards.
  • The practice infection control procedures did not reflect published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were generally available.
  • The practice did not have systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
  • Safeguarding processes were generally in place however improvements were needed.
  • The practice did not have suitable recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • There was ineffective leadership and a lack of oversight of the day-to-day management of the service.
  • There were ineffective systems to support continuous improvement.
  • Patients were not asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • The practice did not have good information governance arrangements.

Background

Great Northern Road Dental Clinic is in Dunstable and provides NHS and 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 with the use of a ramp. Car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 4 dentists, 1 orthodontist, 4 dental nurses, 1 trainee dental nurse, 2 dental hygienists, 1 practice manager and 2 receptionists. The practice has 5 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 2 dentists, 3 dental nurses and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday – Friday 9am until 5.30pm.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
  • Ensure persons employed in the provision of the regulated activity receive the appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal necessary to enable them to carry out their duties.
  • Ensure recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed.

Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

  • Take action to implement any recommendations in the practice's Legionella risk assessment, taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance.’
  • Implement protocols for the use of closed circuit television cameras taking into account the guidelines published by the Information Commissioner's Office in particular a Data Protection Impact Assessment.
  • Take action to ensure audits of antimicrobial prescribing are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. The practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.

12 November 2012

During a routine inspection

During our visit to Great Northern Road Dental Clinic on 12 November 2012 we spoke with six people who were waiting to see one of the dentists or the dental hygienist. Most people told us that they felt involved in their treatment and had been made aware of any costs involved. We looked at a sample of records that confirmed people were asked to sign treatment plans at the start of any course of treatment and that these detailed what treatment they were to have and the proposed cost.

People told us that they could talk to any of the staff. One person said 'they are all friendly here.' Other people told us that they could speak to the staff and would feel confident to make a complaint. We did note that the procedure for people to complain or share their views was not clearly displayed.

The results of satisfaction surveys had also not been formally evaluated, although we did see evidence that they had been acted upon.

The surgery was accessible to people with limited mobility and any treatment could be provided on the ground floor.