This post was written in July, 2015 – some of the content may be out of date at time of reading

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), who monitor, inspect and rate care services, have been testing a new approach to the inspection of dental practices since December, 2014. This approach officially rolled out as their new approach to inspecting and regulating dental care practices on the 1st of April, 2015, however.

According to the CQC, the new approach was developed along with the public, providers, their own staff and organisations with an interest in their work – under the new approach, the CQC plan to inspect around 10% of dental care providers in year one, however they will not apply ratings to their inspections.

The key items that the new CQC inspections will focus on looking out for in your practice are whether they are:

  • Safe
  • Effective
  • Caring
  • Responsive
  • Well Led

Here’s what you can expect from a new CQC Inspection…

The CQC provided a guide on what to expect from one of their inspections, which we’ve outlined below.

6 – 8 weeks before the inspection:

With 6-8 weeks to go, the CQC will call your NHS area team, and send a letter to request any information they have about your dental practice. This includes assessments undertaken, complaints, risks or issues received etc.

4 Weeks before the inspection:

The CQC will get in touch with your local Healthwatch, to request any information they have about the quality of care provided by your practice. This isn’t limited to concerning items or red flags, but can include examples of good care

2 weeks before the inspection:

The CQC inspector will call your practice to inform you of the new inspection approach, inform you when they will be coming into, and talk through agenda for the visit. As well as this, you will also receive a letter from the CQC to confirm the date of the inspection.

As well as this, the CQC will send you a number of comment cards for your patients to complete along with posters to advertise the imminent inspection and inform patients how to get in touch with the CQC.

On the day of the inspection:

The inspector will arrive, and may be accompanied by a specialist advisor, or an experienced expert. The inspection will involve a series of interviews with staff and patients, as well as a review of any information your practice has – including policies, procedures and data. You can help the CQC by digging out any evidence, including certificates or awards, that show your service is safe, effective, caring, responsible and well-led.

Throughout the day, the CQC inspector, specialist advisor or experienced expert will:

  • Speak to your staff and customers
  • Collect and review the previously posted comment cards

Review some or all of the following documentation:

  • Equipment maintenance certificates
  • Radiation protection file
  • Audits and action plans
  • Infection control – policies, procedures and records
  • Staff recruitment – policies, procedures and staff files
  • Staff training records
  • Patient satisfaction surveys and findings

At the end of the inspection:

The inspector will hold a brief feedback session with you – this is just to share their initial thoughts, and will not be a conclusive session, since they need time to consider their findings.

After the inspection:

After the inspection you will be sent a draft inspection report, from which you can challenge any factual inaccuracies. After this, the CQC will quality-assure the reports to make sure they are consistent with how they have inspected other dental practices.

Then, the final report will be published on their website.

You can read a first hand experience of the new dental inspection approach on the CQC site, here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/experience-new-approach-dental-inspection-high-street-smiles-limited-golborne

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