Archived: Bath Oldfield Dental Centre

Everyone we spoke with were complimentary about the staff working at the practice. People told us they had no difficulty arranging appointments.

The people we spoke with who had received treatment told us they were always given detailed information about why it was needed and any available options were discussed with them. They said that the dentist used X-rays to show them where problems existed. We found that X-rays were not always available as the machine used to process and develop them was sometimes broken.

People told us they were always asked about their medical history. They said that if they needed treatment they were given printed plans that set out what treatment was required and its cost. They also told us that they were given comprehensive advice about oral health and hygiene.

Before our visit we had received some concerns about access to scale and polish treatment as part of NHS funded care. During this review we considered the information we had received, liaised with the local PCT who purchase NHS care from the practice and discussed the matter with the service. We have reported our findings in this report, which concludes that actions are being taken by both the provider and the PCT to ensure where clinically appropriate patients are given clear information about choices between NHS funded and privately funded care.

Although the people we spoke with at our visit were happy with the care and treatment they received we found the practice needs to make some improvements. Processes for the decontamination of instruments were not carried out in accordance with national guidance. The health and safety of people and staff may be compromised due to inadequate checks for Legionella and fire safety. At the time of our visit the manager was new to the practice and was developing a range of audits to monitor the standard of treatment provided at the practice.