Gosport Smile Clinic Also known as South Cliff Dental Group Gosport

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

We found this practice was not providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations. We will be following up on our concerns to ensure they have been put right by the provider. During our assessment of this key question, we found concerns related to the safety of the premises, adequacy of emergency equipment and the infection prevention and control standards being followed at the practice. Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can find more details of our concerns in the evidence category findings below.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Learning culture is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Safe systems, pathways and transitions is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Safeguarding is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

The judgement for Involving people to manage risks is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.

Staff knew how to respond to a medical emergency and had completed training in emergency resuscitation and basic life support every year. Staff we spoke with told us that equipment and instruments were well maintained and readily available. However, we found this was not consistently the case. The provider described the processes they had in place to identify and manage risks.. However, we identified improvements must be made to the system for managing risks.

Emergency equipment and medicines were available and checked. Staff could access these in a timely way. However, we noted the emergency oxygen cylinder had expired in July 2024 and this had not been identified in the monthly monitoring. We saw satisfactory records of servicing and validation of some equipment. However, the compressors were not consistently serviced and maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines. In addition, 1 of the compressors failed the last service in November 2024 and a suitable replacement unit had not been obtained. We saw evidence the fire safety equipment was serviced and well maintained. However, we noted the rear fire exit was partially blocked by cleaning equipment.

A fire safety risk assessment was carried out in October 2017 in line with the legal requirements and a number of recommendations had been made. For example, door closers should be installed to 2 rooms; there was no evidence this had been done. The practice had some arrangements to ensure the safety of the X-ray equipment and the required radiation protection information was available. The practice had risk assessments to minimise the risk that could be caused from substances that are hazardous to health. However, we saw domestic bleach was stored in an area which would be accessible to patients and the risks of this had not been considered. The practice had some systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient and staff safety. However, these were not embedded. A sharps risk assessment had been completed in January 2024, there was no evidence the actions had be completed. We identified that some staff were not managing sharps in line with the practice’s risk assessment. The provider did not have an adequate stock control system for medicines which were held at the practice. We noted local anaesthetic cartridges were in a surgery currently in use, which had passed their expiry date in September 2024. We saw that antimicrobial prescribing audits had been carried out.

Staff we spoke with had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles. They were aware of the issue with regards to not having an NHS dentist available. Although most staff members had been in position for less than 6-months, we were told that they would discuss their training needs during annual appraisals and ongoing informal discussions. Staff we spoke with had knowledge of safeguarding and were aware of how safeguarding information could be accessed. Staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Staff told us they had received a structured induction programme, which included safeguarding.

The practice had a recruitment policy and procedure to help them employ suitable staff, including for agency or locum staff. These reflected the relevant legislation. The practice ensured clinical staff were qualified, registered with the General Dental Council and had appropriate professional indemnity cover. Newly appointed staff had an induction, and clinical staff completed continuing professional development required for their registration with the General Dental Council. The practice had arrangements to ensure staff training was up-to-date and reviewed at the required intervals.

Systems were not effective at ensuring the practice was kept clean. The practice did not appear clean although the cleaning schedules had been completed daily stating that all areas had been cleaned. Staff followed infection control principles, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Hazardous waste was segregated and disposed of safely. However, we noted a sharps bin in a surgery had not been assembled correctly posing a risk to staff. We observed the decontamination of used dental instruments, which aligned with national guidance.

The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance and the equipment in use was maintained and serviced. Staff had appropriate training, and the practice completed infection prevention and control (IPC) audits in line with current guidance. The practice had procedures to reduce the risk of Legionella, or other bacteria, developing in water systems, in line with a risk assessment. The practice had policies and procedures in place to ensure clinical waste was segregated and stored appropriately in line with guidance, however these were not effective. We noted a clinical waste bin was not locked and contained used clinical waste bags.

The judgement for Medicines optimisation is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Safe key question.