reporting concerns to the CQC

Hello,
sounds good that CQC will inspect the practice. Please, let us know how they are doing etc. We had our inspection a little bit more than a week ago and the inspector was very thorough, which is good.
Hope for the best for your friend!

thats brilliant news! lets all hope something gets done about it!!

Hi there

That is good news they're going to do an inspection hopefully after this that clinician will change his practices for the better and they can get areas up to standard. Certainly will make the nurses lives alot easier I would think. Good for you getting things rolling and helping to support a friend and fellow DN. 

just to let you all know, the CQC has passed my concerns onto a local representative with a view to carrying out an inspection shortly.

Hi again and thank you so much for the advice!
There is a copy of the HTM01-05 document (or should i say bible....) on site so management are aware of what is required. The Guidance notes for dental practitioners on the safe use of X-ray equipment document looks very helpful,thank you. I've downloaded it and will pass it on to my friend to give to her manager.
She was telling me that the manager said it was too expensive to revamp the decon room at present (baring in mind the principal runs regular facial aesthetic courses for dentists worldwide each month costing each delegate from £695-995)
Also 5 members of staff have left the practice in the past yr ranging from beauty therapists to nurses and reception staff......she loves her job but this position is putting her off due to lack of support and facilities
I've sent an email to the CQC and they have responded.....lets hope things can get sorted soon for the remaining staff protection and that of patients too!

You should download a copy of " Guidance notes for dental practitioners on the safe use of X-ray equipment" it's got alot in it that may be helpful for your friend such as the equipment and the room set up also has reference to the dosage of staff which is relevant to her. I hope it's helpful. She can get it on google.

It's probably best your friend is looking for a new job, with regards to her decon room, if the ultra sonic was broken and their washer is unused how are they supposed to disinfect their instruments? Also the nurses can't be expected to pack their instruments in such a small area and I wouldn't really consider it a clean area if it is obstructed with other pieces of equipment. The OPG room is far from ideal at all if they use this room alot there is potential for legal implications I would think. The precautions are in place for safety of patients and staff, I don't know if it would be an activity I'd want to use at all, the principal should maybe discuss having all staff checked to see if there is any issue there. Do the other clinicians notice these issues? It's a terrible position for those nurses and other staff to work in.

Hello again,
sorry that your friend must leave and get another job (if it is for the reason explained here, that is).

It could be a bit easier when it is about the decontamination, as there are other dentists, doing things right. They will hopefully ally with the nurses and the HTM 01 05, and sort out a proper room and follow the regulations. The same goes for xray machines. If they all go together, I'm sure this odd clinician has to surrender.

According to Information Governance, all records must be stored in a safe place when not in use. The same goes for all other details about the patients and the staff details. If the practice is breaking the confidentiality it could be a dear history and I am talking thousands of pounds .

Have they got the HTM 01 05? If not an electronic copy can be found here in the DNN. It is a very daunting 'book' to read, but nevertheless what we need to follow, our law book. If they want to , it is possible to get a paper copy.

Good luck with contacting the CQC, I am sure they will act swiftly.

MLA

thank you all so much for your replies! I've told her to be open and speak to the clinician but he still does the same things. the other clinicians go by the book but he does things 'his way' which as the founder and lead is aweful.......ive told her to speak to the manager about it too and she does send 'gentle reminder' emails but things have not really changed much. so i've told her to go to the CQC. shes looking for another job now and has asked me to contact them on her behalf. How about the issues with the decon room and OPG etc. what are your thoughts/suggestions there please? thank you so much for your input already.

Hello dumpling 81,
How very good of you to bring this up.
I totally agree with all the other answers , that something needs to be done now.
In this day and age, we all know what to do and we are really working hard to do the right thing. Whistle blowers are good , and in this case your friend has done the right thing, to not accept what is going on.
If she is very worried about her own future, I agree again, that she will be seen in a better light for reporting this story but on the other hand she could ask you, to just contact the CQC and see what they are saying. Then she would be totally covered and not be too nervous about it.
I just wonder, does this practice not know about HTM 0105 or just prefer to ignore it? Do they not know that CQC could just arrive and that they will, it is just a matter of when?That they can close the practice down?
Please, help her, either to contact CQC or by doing it yourself. For her sake, for all patient's sake and for all other practices sake.
We really must get rid of this kind of behaviour that seems to be going on, even if it is a you call it a 'high profile' practice.

im shocked aswell this should not be happening in this day and age!! :O im quite forceful on clinics an if a clinician is not wearing the correct PPE i will get the item they need and stand there untill they put it on!! sometimes i know this is not what everybody can do especially if the professor is somebody who all the other clinicians look up to but as a dental nurse you (your friend) has a duty as a registered member of the dental team to speak up and address this issue or speak to a manager /senior nurse. why dont you suggest an audit on handwashing?!! this may help 'buck up' so to say the other clinicians and the professor who are lacking in handwashing skills. as for being handed an unsheathed needle as a given where i work the clinician who has used to the needle disposes of it and if they were to hand it to me i would refuse to hold it!! Also the same for holding impressions without gloves your friend should be asking the professor to wait untill she has donned gloves as she is as fault aswell for this being allowed to happen. she really should like you said contact the CQC and maybe see if she can arrange an urgent inspection. i really do hope she gets this sorted but she needs to sort it sooner rather than later else she is putting her own registration at risk.

Hi there, I am quite shocked after reading what your friend has to deal with it shouldn't be happening. If it was me I would be more worried about my registration if I DIDNT say something as if something was to happen such as maybe a complaint from a patient if gdc got involved and your friend was working knowing certain things weren't complying then she could get held just as responsible which would be such a shame. Its awful he will take X-rays without lead lined Walls or any precautions for any other staff. I know it's not nice being the 1 to speak out, but someone needs to as the professor has a duty of care to his patients and to make sure his staff are safe also and clearly right now he's doing neither. Is your friend outspoken? Could she tell him areas that aren't right? It's a funny question I'm just wondering if he's up to date with rules, I'm quite bossy and usually just say if a consultant is wrong even clinical director.I hope your friend manages to get something sorted.

Hi all. A fellow dental nurse friend of mine recently started working at a 'high profile' dental and facial aesthetics clinic (they do botox and dermal fillers as well)with a 'well known' professor in the field. She is concerned about his level of infection control and h&s and asked me what to do. The concerns raised are as follows;
1. said professor seldom washes his hands before donning gloves,at times using no gloves at all.
2.he rarely uses ppe except sometimes when using the fast handpiece and mostly wears his own clothes.
3.he often passes unsheathed LA needles and always passes unsheathed botox/filler needles to his nurse.
4.he often passes impressions from the patients mouth to the nurse not giving her time to don gloves.
..only 1 bowl is provided for handwashing, cleaning,disinfecting and rinsing instruments in the 'decon room'.
6.the so called 'decon room' is a makeshift loo with a broken ultra sonic bath,unused washer disinfector.
.theres no space in the 'clean' area to pack instruments as the autoclave and x ray developer are there.
7. the opg room is not lead lines,no staff wear monitoring badges and the door doesnt close as this would obstruct the machine and prevent it from turning.
8.records of payments with full contact details,credit card info and names are just left in ring binders on a shelf.

i was shocked at what my friend told me as you probably are from reading this. ive advised her to email the CQC which can be done annoymously but she is worried about her registration.
please if you have any advice or even your own experiences of shoddy employers it would be most appreciated!!!
TIA