Holford Partners Curaden Dental Clinic

We carried out this announced inspection on 18 November 2019 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 provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five 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:

Are services safe?

We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Holford Partners Curaden Dental Clinic is in the City of Westminster in London and provides private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs via a lift and stair lift that gives access to three surgeries. Car parking spaces, including some for blue badge holders, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes eight dentists, six dental nurses, two dental hygienists, three receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has eight treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. The registered manager at Holford Partners Curaden Dental Clinic is one of the dentists.

On the day of inspection, we collected eight CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with three other patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, two receptionists and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open

8.00- 6.00 pm Monday to Thursdays

8.00-5.00 pm on Fridays

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. However improvements were required in regard to ensuring that the practice safeguarding policy included information on safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
• The provider had suitable staff recruitment procedures. However improvements were required in regard to recording references.

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

• Improve the practice’s safeguarding policy and ensure it takes into account both adults and children.
• Implement an effective recruitment procedure to ensure that appropriate checks are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.
• Improve and develop staff awareness of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities under the Act as it relates to their role.
• Implement protocols for conscious sedation, taking into account the guidelines published by The Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry in the document 'Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care 2015.