• Dentist
  • Dentist

The Dental Surgery

15 Arcade House, Hampstead Way, London, NW11 7TL (020) 8455 4359

Provided and run by:
The Dental Surgery

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

We carried out this announced on-site follow-up assessment on 20 May 2024. We found the practice had met regulations. The practice had implemented improvements to the systems in place to manage risks. The recruitment procedures broadly reflected current legislation. Improvements had been made to ensure that infection control procedures followed published guidance. Patients’ care and treatment was provided in line with current guidance. At the time of our assessment, patients could access care, support and treatment when required. There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement. The practice is in Barnet and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children. At the time of our assessment, the dental team included 2 dentists, 1 dental nurse and 1 trainee dental nurse. The practice had 2 treatment rooms. During the assessment we spoke with all members of the dental team.

20 November 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 20 November 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 practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
  • Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
  • Patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
  • The practice had information governance arrangements.
  • The dental clinic appeared generally clean. However, work surfaces in the clinical area and the decontamination room were cluttered and not impervious.
  • The practice infection control procedures did not reflect published guidance.
  • Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were not available. Improvements were needed to staff`s knowledge about the management of medical emergencies.
  • The practice did not have effective systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
  • There were ineffective processes in place to prevent abuse of vulnerable adults and children.
  • Improvements were needed to clinical staff`s understanding of the current clinical guidelines.
  • Improvements were needed to ensure patient care records were complete and included adequate details of the care provided.
  • There was a lack of effective governance and there were no systems in place to support continuous improvement.

Background

The Dental Surgery is in Temple Fortune, in the London Borough of Barnet and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The practice had two small steps at the entrance and there were processes in place to communicate this to patients prior to their appointments. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes 2 principal dentists and 1 qualified dental nurse. The practice has 2 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with all members of staff. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm

Friday from 9am to 1pm.

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

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
  • Ensure sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced persons are deployed to meet the fundamental standards of care and treatment.
  • Ensure persons employed in the provision of the regulated activities receive appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal necessary to enable them to carry out their duties.
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

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 ensure audits of record keeping and 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.

19 December 2013

During a routine inspection

When we inspected on 8 October 2013, we saw that the provider's decontamination room (where dental instruments were cleaned and sterilised) did not have a separate wash hand basin, in line with Department of Health guidance. We asked the provider to take action.

When we inspected again on 19 December 2013, we saw that the provider had installed a separate wash hand basin in the decontamination room and that the installation had incorporated Department of Health guidance.

8 October 2013

During a routine inspection

Patients we spoke with told us they understood the care and treatment choices available to them. For more complicated treatments, patients were provided with a written treatment plan.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. Patients spoke positively about the quality of care and treatment received. One patient person told us, 'you can tell the dentists' take pride in what they do.'

None of the people we spoke with expressed concern about the safety of the environment where care and treatment was delivered. One patient described one of the dentists as, 'very reassuring.'

Patients spoke positively about the cleanliness of the treatment room and overall environment. One patient told us, "it's always clean but without feeling too clinical.' However, during our inspection, we saw that the provider had not conducted infection control audits in line with Department of Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 Decontamination in Primary Care Dental Practices 'essential quality requirements' (HTM01-05). An audit was sent to us after our inspection but we saw that it contained inconsistencies.

The provider told us that they had a system in place to highlight patient medical conditions that might impact on dental treatment (e.g. a penicillin allergy). This meant that the provider had systems in place to ensure that patient's medical records were accurate and fit for purpose.