Updated 3 March 2022
We undertook a follow up focused inspection of Smile Centre Accrington on 27 January 2022. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Smile Centre Accrington on 28 September 2021 and 7 October 2021 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. A second visit was necessary to gather the information we required. We found the registered provider was not providing safe or well led care and was in breach of regulations 12, 17 and 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Smile Centre Accrington on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is it safe?
• Is it well-led?
When one or more of the five questions are not met, we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was required.
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breaches we found at our inspection on 28 September 2021 and 7 October 2021.
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breaches we found at our inspection on 28 September 2021 and 7 October 2021.
Background
Smile Dental Care Accrington is based in Accrington, Lancashire and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
The practice is not accessible to those with limited mobility. Car parking spaces are available near the practice in pay and display car parks.
The dental team includes two dentists, four dental nurses, two of whom are trainee dental nurses and one who also works as the practice manager. There is also a dental hygiene therapist and a receptionist. The practice is part of a group, and external clinical and management support is available to staff at the practice. The practice has two treatment rooms, both of which are located on the first floor.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, one dental nurse, members of the provider’s clinical and management team, 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 to Friday from 9am to 5pm
(the practice is closed each day from 1pm to 2pm for lunch.)
Our key findings were:
- Foil ablation tests for the ultrasonic cleaner and steam penetration testing for the vacuum autoclave were being carried out in line with national guidance (The Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, (HTM 01-05).
- Heavy duty gloves were being used during the process for manual cleaning of dental instruments.
- Repairs to the suction motor unit had been completed.
- Improvements had been made to the systems for managing and tracking NHS prescriptions.
- Improvements had been made to the system for recording and monitoring significant events.
- The policies for both complaints handling and whistleblowing had been reviewed and updated.
- Protocols for medicines management had been reviewed and improvements made.
- The consent policy had been reviewed and updated.
- Management systems had been reviewed and strengthened.