Harley Street Dental Centre

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 4 May 2023 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 advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 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:

• The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment, and the premises.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• Staff felt involved, supported, and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• Improvements were required to the practice information governance arrangements.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. Improvements were required with regards to the decontamination of dental instruments.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines were available. Improvements were however required with regards to the availability of life-saving equipment.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines. Improvements were required to ensure discussions were suitably documented in dental care records.

Background

Harley Street Dental Centre is in the London borough of Westminster and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There are a couple of low steps to access the practice, however people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs can access the building. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes a dentist and a dental nurse. The practice consists of one room, and the decontamination of instruments is carried out in the surgery. There is a waiting room that is shared with other services in the building.

During the inspection we spoke with the dentist and the dental nurse. We looked at practice policies, procedures, and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm by appointment.

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

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. They should:

• Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.
• Take action to ensure that all clinical staff have adequate immunity for vaccine preventable infectious diseases.
• Take action to ensure the practice stores dental care records securely.