Building a CQC compliant dental practice

As a dental practice owner, it’s important to know what these rules are and how to stick to them in your practice. In this article, we’ll help you figure out how to make your dental clinic CQC-friendly. We’ll talk about everything from getting started to keeping things in line with the rules as you go along.

Legally, in England, any dental professional and their practice must be registered for any registered activity which is going to be carried out. Buying or setting up a dental practice means that these registrations have to be in place, before any treatments are started.

Starting your practice with CQC rules in mind not only makes sure everyone stays accountable and focused on patient safety but also helps avoid problems and legal issues down the road. When dental clinics make CQC compliance a priority from the beginning, they set themselves up for success, making patients happy and their reputation strong.

You can find more information on the CQC website here.

In this webinar, we take you through what you need to know to make sure your dental practice is CQC compliant.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an independent regulator of health care and social care in England. The CQC monitors and inspects providers and provides reports and rankings, so that people can see which providers obtain the best results.

What are the regulated activities for dentists?

The CQC provides full details of activities for which registration is necessary on its website. These activities include:

• Surgical procedures.
• Diagnostic and screening procedures.
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

From the list of activities provided, it’s up to a practice owner to determine which are relevant. Once registration is complete, it’s important to understand how the CQC will monitor the performance of the dental practice on an on-going basis. I cannot emphasise this enough. Performance and care have to be high quality in order to ensure good CQC reports. These reports can have a direct effect on patient numbers and on the profits of the business.

How does the CQC check performance?

Investing in a dental practice is a big step. It’s important to eliminate as much risk as possible. One risk is that patient numbers could decline. The best way to stop this from happening is to provide an excellent standard of treatment and care.

The CQC reports on the standard of care in dental surgeries. Therefore, it’s important to understand what has to be done to prove the standard of care in the practice that is being purchased.

The CQC gathers information from different sources including:

• Service users.
• Service providers.
• Local organisations.
• Service stakeholders.
• NHS England.
• General Dental Council.

The CQC also carries out inspections. Prior to inspection, it asks for information which can include:

• Current statement of purpose for the practice.
• Accreditation or good practice programme membership details.
• Staff names, roles and hours worked.
• Details of complaints received.

Once a request for information has been received, a practice only has five days in which to respond. This is one reason why it’s so important to adopt good record keeping practices once a purchased or new practice is up and running.

What are the 5 CQC standards?

Did you know that the CQC assesses dental practices based on five Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs)? These include whether services are Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led. Let’s look at each question:

Is it safe?

This question looks at whether the service is keeping patients and service users safe from harm or being treated badly. It checks things like keeping places clean, managing risks, giving out medicines safely, and making sure buildings are secure. They also check if staff are trained well and follow rules to keep everyone safe.

Is it effective?

Here, the focus is on whether care helps people get better, stay healthy, and keep living well. They look at whether treatments and therapies work well, if they’re right for the person, and if they follow what’s known to be good practice.

Is it caring?

This question checks if the service treats people with kindness, respect, and dignity. They look at how staff act, communicate, and if they give care that’s centered around the person. They also check if the service helps people feel good emotionally and mentally.

Is it responsive to people’s needs?

This question sees if the service is good at adapting to what people need and want. They look at if it’s easy for people to get help when they need it, if care is given at the right time, and if support is given that fits with each person’s situation and background.

Is it well-led?

This checks if the people in charge of the service are doing a good job. They look at how the service is managed, if staff are led well, and if the organization has a good way of doing things. They also see if there’s good leadership that encourages learning and making things better. And they check if people who use the service, their families, and staff are involved in making decisions.

These questions help the CQC to inspect and rate health and social care services. 

Registration and Planning.

Dentists in the UK must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to operate. This ensures they meet the fundamental quality standards required. 

Here’s how to get started and plan for CQC compliance:

Choosing the Right Legal Structure:

The first step involves deciding how you want to structure your practice legally. Here are the common options:

• Sole Trader: This is the simplest structure, where you own and operate the practice independently. However, you take on full financial responsibility.
• Partnership: Partnering with other dentists allows you to share responsibilities, profits, and some of the financial risks.
• Limited Company: This structure offers more protection for your personal assets from business liabilities, but comes with additional regulations.

Registering with the Care Quality Commission (CQC):

CQC registration is mandatory for all dental practices in the UK. The process involves submitting information about your practice, including:

• The types of dental services you offer
• Your practice location
• The names and qualifications of your staff

Upon successful registration, you’ll receive a unique CQC number, signifying your official recognition and compliance.

Appointing a Registered Manager:

The CQC requires every dental practice to have a designated Registered Manager. This individual plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth daily operations of the practice and adherence to CQC regulations. Responsibilities include:

• Overseeing day-to-day operations
• Acting as the primary contact for the CQC
• Leading the practice towards continual improvement to maintain compliance during inspections

Understanding the CQC’s Five Key Questions:

The CQC focuses on five key areas to assess the quality of your dental practice:

1. Safety: Do you have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure patient safety?
2. Effectiveness: Are your treatments and services effective in delivering positive outcomes for patients?
3. Caring Attitude: Do your staff treat patients with compassion, dignity, and respect?
4. Responsiveness: Are you receptive to patient feedback and willing to adapt your services accordingly?
5. Leadership: Does your Registered Manager provide clear and effective leadership to maintain high standards?

By carefully going through these stages, your dental practice can start off on the right track with CQC rules, giving patients confidence in the care they’ll receive.

Policies and Procedures

Crafting policies and training staff are key to following Care Quality Commission (CQC) rules in a dental clinic. Here’s how to do it:

Building Important Policies:

• Infection Control: This policy spells out how to stop infections from spreading in the clinic. It covers stuff like washing hands, sterilizing tools, using protective gear, and dealing with biohazardous waste. Following these rules keeps everyone safe and reduces the chance of infections. Studies have shown that infection prevention and control (IPC) is a common area where dental practices fall short during inspections. This highlights the importance of robust hygiene protocols.
• Safeguarding: These policies make sure vulnerable patients stay safe from harm or abuse. They lay down steps for spotting signs of trouble, reporting it, and helping those affected. Having safeguarding policies means the clinic is ready to handle tough situations and meets legal requirements.
• Waste Management: Good waste policies ensure that all clinical waste, sharps, and dangerous materials are disposed of safely. They explain how to sort, store, move, and get rid of waste following the rules. Proper waste management keeps the environment clean, cuts health risks, and keeps the clinic hygienic.
• Complaints Handling: These policies set out how to deal with patient complaints or worries. They show how to collect complaints, look into them, and sort them out fairly and quickly. Handling complaints well shows the clinic listens to patients, learns, and takes responsibility seriously.

Training the Team:

• Training Staff: It’s crucial to make sure everyone in the clinic understands and sticks to the policies. Regularly train all staff (dentists, receptionists, etc.) on these rules.
• What to Cover: Training sessions should explain each policy, why it’s important, and how to follow it for patient safety and to meet the rules. 
• Who Gets Trained: Everyone in the team, from dentists to receptionists, needs to get trained.
• Regular Updates: Keep training sessions going, especially for new employees, to keep everyone in the loop with the latest policies. Update training sessions with the latest regulations and protocols regularly.
• Interactive Learning: Using different methods like acting out scenarios or sharing real cases helps staff really get how to use the policies in the real world.

By setting up solid policies and making sure everyone’s trained on them, the dental clinic stays in line with CQC standards, keeps patients safe, and gives top-notch care. Keeping policies updated and training ongoing helps the clinic stay on top of changes in rules and tech, keeping care at its best.

Safeguarding and care

Ensuring patients are safe and well looked after is essential to staying CQC compliant. Let’s explore how to do this simply:

Identifying Dangers: 

It’s essential to perform regular risk assessments to get a clear picture of any potential issues and to identify and solve them. This involves checking how clean everything is and procedures for ensuring cleanliness, if equipment is safe and working correctly, if there’s anything that could harm patients and how to put procedures in place to guarantee safety.

Reporting Issues: 

It’s essential to quickly record and address any problems that occur in the clinic, like accidents or near-misses. Staff should be able to recognise and report these incidents and be aware of who they need to report incidents to. Documenting all issues helps understand why it happened and prevents it from occurring again.

Protecting Vulnerable Patients: 

You need to ensure patients who might be at risk, like older people or those with disabilities, are kept safe from harm. Everyone should be able to recognise signs of trouble and know what to do if they suspect something isn’t right. Establishing a welcoming and secure space where patients feel comfortable discussing any concerns they have is crucial.

Communicating Clearly and Obtaining Consent: 

Patients should understand what’s happening with their treatment, potential risks, and the choices available to them. Staff should use plain language to explain things like diagnoses, treatments, and costs. Patients should be fully informed about their treatment and agree to it without feeling pressured. By having robust procedures for identifying risks, reporting incidents, protecting vulnerable patients, and communicating clearly with patients, dental clinics ensure everyone feels safe and well cared for. 

These practices not only improve patient satisfaction but also demonstrate that the clinic is adhering to regulations and values honesty and compassion. Keeping up with training and making improvements when necessary is vital to continue providing the best care.

Premises and Equipment

Ensuring the dental clinic sticks to CQC rules regarding the building and tools is important to keep everyone safe and well. Let’s explore how to do this in a unique way:

Getting the Space Right: 

The clinic layout should be accessible and easy for everyone to use, even those with mobility problems. This means having ramps, handrails, and enough space for people to move around comfortably. It also means providing accessible parking spaces and doors. 

According to CQC rules, the clinic must of course be kept clean to prevent germs from spreading. The layout should make it simple to keep things clean, with designated areas for handwashing, sterilising tools, and separating clean and dirty items. Surfaces should be smooth and easy to clean, and measures should be in place to prevent the spread of germs. 

Safety is paramount! The layout should make it easy for patients to move around safely, with clear pathways and good lighting. There should be secure storage areas for hazardous materials, like chemicals, and clear exit signs in case of emergencies. Additionally, emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers and first aid kits should be readily available.

Looking After the Equipment: 

All equipment used for treatments must be in good working order and safe to use. Regular checks should be conducted to ensure they are not damaged or worn out. There should be a schedule for regularly inspecting and cleaning each tool. It’s important to record when each tool was last checked. The inspections should verify that the tools are set up correctly, all safety features are functional, and they comply with regulations. 

If a tool is found to be unsafe, it should be repaired or replaced immediately. By ensuring the clinic layout is accessible, clean, and safe, and by maintaining the tools properly, dental clinics can create a welcoming and secure environment for patients while adhering to regulations. The CQC conducts two main types of inspections: announced comprehensive inspections and unannounced focused inspections. These inspections assess the practice’s adherence to CQC regulations.

Maintaining Compliance

Keeping up with rules in a CQC-approved dental clinic is a never-ending job that needs care and effort. Here’s how to do it uniquely and simply:

Why Keeping Watch Matters:

You need to keep an eye on your procedures and assessments, analyse how things are done, and assess any issues or complaints regularly. Checking regularly helps identify any areas in which you may not be following the rules or where things could be safer. Hearing what patients say about their experiences and any problems helps fix things faster too. By staying alert, you can stop problems before they happen, improve how you care for patients, and keep following the rules.

Training Staff and Keeping Rules Updated:

Making sure all team members know what to do and that they understand the rules is paramount. You need to run regular training sessions to remind everyone about the rules, fill in any gaps in what they know, and tell them about any changes to the rules. When rules change, everyone must be made aware clearly and make sure they understand what to do.

Getting Ready for CQC Inspections:

CQC will conduct regular check-ups to ensure your compliance is maintained. You must keep records of your procedures, any issues that have arisen and how they were handled. Performing mock inspections helps will help keep your employees on their toes. Make sure you review CQC feedback, address identified issues, and implement necessary changes.

By always checking training staff well, and getting ready for inspections, dental clinics show they’re serious about giving great care and following the rules. Doing these things helps make sure patients are safe and happy and that the clinic keeps doing well.

By having effective systems in place to identify risks, report issues, and ensure patient safety, as well as by communicating clearly and obtaining consent from patients, clinics create a welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable. Keeping a close watch on operations, training staff thoroughly, and preparing for inspections helps clinics maintain high standards and keep patients satisfied.

Numerous organizations offer compliance support specifically for dental practices. These resources can help dentists navigate the CQC framework. For more help with following CQC rules, dental clinics can find lots of useful resources like guides on the CQC website, handbooks, and support from professional groups, local health authorities, online training, and talking with other dentists in groups or online forums.

Reviewed By:

Arun Mehra

Samera CEO

Arun, CEO of Samera, is an experienced accountant and dental practice owner. He specialises in accountancy, financial directorship, squat practices and practice management.

Dan Fearon

Finance Manager

Dan is a former banker and the head of our dental practice sales team. He specialises in asset finance for healthcare businesses and dental practice sales.