Archived: Standerdental

We carried out this announced focused inspection of Standerdental on 28 July 2022 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 adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing COVID-19 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 questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

• The dental clinic was visibly clean.
• 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.
• The practice had systems to help them manage most risks to patients and staff.
• 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.
• 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 dental clinic had information governance arrangements.

Background

This report is about Standerdental.

Standerdental is a dental practice in Hornchurch- a town in the north east London Borough of Havering and provides private dental care and treatment for adults.

The practice is located on the first floor of the building via a flight of stairs which leads from the ground floor. This means there is no level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There is limited car parking spacing available near the practice

The dental team includes the principal dentist and a receptionist. They are supported by locum dental nurses. The practice has one treatment room.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open Wednesday to Friday 10am to 5pm.

Outside of these hours, patients are directed to NHS 111 for emergency care and treatment.

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

• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records.
• Take action to ensure audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.