Safety concerns highlighted in dental practice report

Acorn Dental Care was inspected by the CQC in April

A dental practice is "not providing safe care" for patients, the health watchdog has found.

Acorn Dental Care in Maidenhead, Berkshire, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April.

Among the issues raised were ineffective procedures for cleaning equipment and the presence of out-of-date medicines.

Acorn Dental Care has been approached for a response.

Inspectors found the practice did not ensure equipment was safe to use and infection control procedures were not operated effectively.

They also found treatment rooms had remnants of surgical drapes stuck to walls.

The CQC report highlighted instruments not being inspected for debris after being manually cleaned before being placed in the steriliser.

Out-of-date medicines were found to be present and sharps bins were on the floors of every treatment room posing a risk to staff and patients.

Inspectors also said immediate improvement was needed to ensure equipment was available and able to be located quickly in a medical emergency.

Issues over staff recruitment were raised, including missing references and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check not being carried out.

There were also problems with the servicing of heating and air conditioning.

"The practice had not effectively implemented systems to assess, monitor and manage risks to patient and staff safety," the report said.

It concluded the practice must "establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care".