Dentalcare Langley 2

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 9 November 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 ask five key questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive?
• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

• The dental practice was visibly clean.
• The practice’s infection control procedures were not effective.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies.
• The provider did not operate effective systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• Staff recruitment procedures were not operated effectively.
• The clinicians provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• Staff training was not monitored effectively.
• The provider did not have effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Information governance arrangements required improvement.

Background

Dentalcare Langley 2 is in Slough and provides NHS and private orthodontics 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 at the rear of the practice.

The dental team includes 1 dentist, 3 dental nurses, 1 dental hygienist, 1 orthodontist,
3 orthodontic therapists, a receptionist and a practice manager.

The practice has 5 treatment room of which 4 are in use. The 5th room is used as a staff and storage room.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 3 dental nurses, 1 dental hygienist, 1 receptionist and the practice manager.

We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

• Monday 8.00am to 5.00pm
• Tuesday 8.00am to 7.00pm
• Wednesday 8.00am to 5.30pm
• Thursday 8.00am to 7.00pm
• Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm
• Saturday 9.00am to 2.00pm (once a month)

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 recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed and specific information is available regarding each person 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.

• Implement a system to ensure patient referrals to other dental or health care professionals are centrally monitored to ensure they are received in a timely manner and not lost.
  
• Implement protocols regarding the prescribing and recording of antibiotic medicines taking into account guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice in respect of antimicrobial prescribing.
  
• Improve the practice protocols regarding auditing patient dental care records to check that necessary information is recorded.

The practice manager and practice owner accepted the shortfalls that we raised.

Where evidence is sent that shows the relevant issues have been acted on, we have stated this in our report but we cannot say that the practice is compliant for that key question as this would not be an accurate reflection of what was found on the day of our inspection.