Dental Practice on The Green

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 23 June 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:

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.
• 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 in place. However, improvements were needed to ensure the required recruitment information was obtained from new staff at the point of employment.
• 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

Dental Practice on The Green is in Winchmore Hill in the London Borough of Enfield 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. Car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, 2 associate dentists, 1 specialist periodontist, 3 qualified dental nurses, 1 trainee dental nurse, 1 dental hygienist and the practice manager. Two of the dental nurses also undertake receptionist duties. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, 1 associate dentist, the practice manager, 1 qualified dental nurse and 1 trainee dental nurse. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 6pm.

Thursday from 8am to 5pm.

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

• Improve the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure accurate, complete and detailed records are maintained for all staff.
• 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.