The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Archived: Bishopsgate Dental Care

36 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY (020) 7377 6762

Provided and run by:
Stokes-Vega Dental Care Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

29 September 2022

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 29 September 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 specialist dental adviser.

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 was visibly clean and well-maintained.
  • The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
  • The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
  • 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.
  • The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect and staff took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
  • There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
  • Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
  • The dental clinic had information governance arrangements.

Background

Bishopsgate Dental Care is part of a corporate group of dentists which offers a co-ownership model whereby dental practice owners are classed as equity holders. At the time of inspection, there are136 practices in the group.

Bishopsgate Dental Centre is in Bishopsgate; a short walk from Liverpool Street in the City of London and provides private dental care and treatment for mainly adults and a small percentage of children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are limited in and around the practice as it sits in a highly populous and busy area. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with additional needs, for example, internal lift access is available to the first floor of the practice for those with mobility issues.

The dental team includes 6 dentists, 3 qualified dental nurses, 1 trainee dental nurse, 3 dental hygienists (one of whom is also a therapist), 1 orthodontic therapist and 2 receptionists. They are supported by a full-time practice manager and visiting corporate level compliance advisors who works peripatetically across the practices in the group. The practice has 4 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 qualified dental nurse, 1 dental hygienist, 1 receptionist 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 8am to 7pm

Tuesday & Thursday 8am to 6pm

Wednesday 8am to 8pm

Friday 8am to 5pm.

22 December 2016

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 22 December 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Bishopsgate Dental Care in Bishopsgate, London provides private dental treatment to patients of all ages. The practice also provides conscious sedation and minor oral surgery services. [Conscious sedation is a procedure using a combination of medicines to help a patient to relax (a sedative) and to block pain (an anaesthetic) during a medical or dental procedure. The patient remains awake during the whole procedure].

Practice staffing consists of a principal dentist, four associate dentists, orthodontic therapist, one hygienist, two dental nurses, one trainee dental nurse, one receptionist and a practice manager.

The principal dentist is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons 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 practice is open Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm and Friday 8am to 2pm

The practice facilities include three treatment rooms a decontamination room, reception/waiting area, one office and a staff room/kitchen.

40 patients provided feedback about the service. Patients who completed comment cards were very positive about the care they received from the service. Patients told us that they were happy with the treatment and advice they had received.

Our key findings were:

  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with current guidance such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
  • The practice sought feedback from patients about the services they provided and acted on this to improve its services.
  • Staff had been trained to handle medical emergencies, and appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were readily available.
  • The practice had a procedure for handling and responding to complaints, which were displayed and available to patients.
  • There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Dental instruments were cleaned and sterilised in line with current guidance.
  • Equipment, such as the autoclaves, fire extinguishers, and X-ray equipment had all been checked for effectiveness and had been regularly serviced.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect and confidentiality was maintained.
  • Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
  • Staff had received safeguarding children and adults training and knew the processes to follow to raise any concerns. The practice had whistleblowing policies and procedure and staff were aware of these and their responsibilities to report any concerns.
  • Governance systems were effective and there were a range of policies and procedures in place which underpinned the management of the practice. Clinical audits were carried out to monitor the quality of services.

18 January 2012

During a routine inspection

Patients told us that their treatment options and costs were explained to them. They also felt that their privacy and dignity were respected. Patients were able to book appointments at times convenient to them, and were seen promptly by dental staff when they arrived at the practice.

Patients were examined at the start of their treatment and appropriate records were kept of each appointment that included an initial assessment and medical history.

The practice operated in a clean and hygienic environment with well established processes to maintain the hygiene of treatment rooms and instruments between each patient and during the course of the day. The practice had suitable equipment to decontaminate used instruments and maintained a range of records relating to the cleaning of instruments and equipment. However, we found that in one week records relating to the bench top sterilizer had not been clearly dated.

Appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out on staff and a core training programme addressing medical emergencies, health and safety and infection control was in place for all staff.

The practice carried out regular health and safety and infection control audits and monitored the quality of service it provided to patients.