The Care Quality Commission has today published reports on the quality of care provided by 24 dental practices in England.
The practices were inspected under CQC’s new approach to inspecting dental services which launched in April 2015.
The practices that we have reported on today are:
Practice name and Clinical Commissioning Group area
- Alistair Bartlett Dental Practices - Ashington, NHS Northumberland CCG
- Alistair Bartlett Dental Practices - Hadrian Park, NHS Northumberland CCG
- Beaumont House Dental Practice, NHS Leicester City CCG
- Boston Smiles Centre, NHS Lincolnshire East CCG
- Bradley Shorthouse Dental Clinic, Wyre Forest
- Brightsmile Dental Care (Isleworth), NHS Hounslow
- Burbage Dental Practice, NHS Leicester City CCG
- City Dental, NHS Sunderland CCG
- Complete Smile, NHS South Tyneside CCG
- Cottingham Dental Practice, NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG
- Dental Practice, Croydon
- Dental Practice – Barkingside, Redbridge
- Dental Surgery, NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG
- Epworth House Dental Surgery, South Worcestershire
- Fawdon Dental Practice, NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG
- Frinton Dental Care, NHS North East Essex CCG
- Grimsby Dental Care, NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG
- Kimbolton Dental Practice, NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG
- Lancaster Dental Clinic, NHS Lancashire North CCG
- Pearldent Dental Surgery, NHS Stockport
- Star Dental Care, NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG
- The Corner Dental Practice, NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG
- Welldene Dental Care, NHS Ashford CCG
- Westleigh Dental Practice, Fareham and Gosport
CQC’s new approach to inspecting dental services:
CQC’s new approach to inspecting dental services uses specially trained dental inspectors, accompanied by specialist advisors who are usually qualified dentists or dental care professionals. Similarly to the other health and social care sectors inspected by CQC, dental reports describe whether services provided are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Our inspections check that practices are meeting the fundamental standards and regulations that came into force on 1 April 2015.
CQC plans to inspect 10 per cent of England’s 10,000 dental practices. Unlike most other regulated sectors, primary care dental services will not be given a rating in 2015/16.
Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice (Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care Directorate), said:
"We know that the quality of care provided by most dentists is of an acceptable standard, and that is reflected in the reports we have published so far under our new approach.
"If we find that a dental practice is failing to meet the required standard - we will expect them to provide us with a full plan setting out how they will address the issue, and we will return to check that they have made the required improvements.
“However good the general picture, we cannot be complacent. In the first years of inspection, CQC did identify some examples of unacceptable standards of care. Our main priority must be to ensure that we protect the public from unsafe care by continuing to inspect against the regulations and taking action if we identify any concerns."
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