W1 Dental

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 13 February 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, and most medicines and life-saving equipment were available as per current guidelines.
• The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Quality assurance processes could be improved by ensuring radiographic audits were taken at regular intervals and antimicrobial prescribing audits were carried out.

• Improvements were required in regard to the practice’s use of closed-circuit television CCTV

Background

W1 Dental is in the City of Westminster and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The practice is located on the ground floor of a building and was accessible for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs.Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes 2 dentists, 1 dental hygienist, 2 dental nurses and 1 receptionist. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, a dental nurse, a receptionist and the practice manager, who was also a dental nurse. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

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

• Take action to ensure audits of radiography are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. Practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.
• Take action to ensure the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.
• Improve the practice protocols regarding auditing patient dental care records to check that necessary information is recorded.
• Implement protocols for the use of closed-circuit television cameras taking into account the guidelines published by the Information Commissioner's Office.