Dr Peter Tsakpo

We carried out this announced focused inspection on 5 April 2022 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 second inspector and a specialist dental adviser.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment,

we usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it well-led?

These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.

Our findings were:

• The dental clinic was visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. We discussed changes that could be made to the decontamination workflow.
• Appropriate medical emergency medicines were available. Some sizes of oxygen mask were not available and not all staff had received training to deal with medical emergencies.
• The practice had recently carried out some assessments of risks to patients and staff. Further review of risks in relation to sharps safety, staff immunity and hazardous substances was required.
• 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. We found these were not followed and essential checks were not carried out on new staff.
• Current clinical guidelines should be reviewed to ensure care and treatment is consistently provided in line with these, in particular, periodontal assessment and care.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and staff took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff felt involved and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.

Background

Dr Peter Tsakpo is in Little Horton, Bradford and provides NHS and a small amount of private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Roadside parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes five part-time dentists, four dental nurses, (two of whom are trainees), and two receptionists. The practice has two treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, 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, 9:30am to 12:15pm and 2pm to 5:15pm

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

• Take action to ensure the clinicians carry out patient assessments and ensure they are in compliance with current legislation and take into account relevant nationally recognised evidence-based guidance.

• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry when completing dental care records.