Patient Safety Charter

Our practice has a safety culture which means that patient safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds not only when delivering healthcare but also when setting objectives, developing procedures, purchasing new products and equipment. It is also a culture that is open and fair, where staff can discuss the challenges that face them at work in the best interests of our patients. Patient safety is achieved by adhering to the following safety charter principles…

  • To control and prevent cross infection we follow the latest infection prevention guidelines from the Department of Health in England and Wales.
  • All dental instruments are either single use or sterilised after use.
  • Work areas, the dental chair and equipment handles are decontaminated in-between patients.
  • All staff maintain a high standard of personal hygiene including the wearing of clinical clothing and the restricted wearing of jewellery.
  • All our staff have training in infection control.
  • We routinely change gloves between patients.
  • Staff who may have a health condition or a blood borne infection have an occupational health examination and take expert advice on their role in treating patients.
  • All staff have appropriate training in safeguarding children.
  • Practice water is monitored for quality and dental unit waterlines are maintained.
  • All forms of waste are handled according to current regulations and disposed of with appropriate carriers.

We run a clinical governance system which uses integrated risk management to identify, assess, analyse and manage all risks and incidents. The goal is continuous improvement in our care and service to you.

Dr Antimos Ouzounoglou has overall responsibility at the practice. The team is supported through regular meetings, staff training, personal development and regular appraisals. The practice always welcome questions, comments and suggestions from patients.

Please contact the practice management if you have any questions or concerns.

Our Commitment to You

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help you with your dental maintenance and treatment needs. We understand the important role our care and solutions play in helping you fulfill your wishes. We therefore feel committed and promise to:

Respecting and involving people who uses services

The need for the strict confidentiality of personal information about patients is taken very seriously at Richmond Dental Suite. Before patients are given dental examination, care, treatment or support, they should be asked if they agree to it (consent). We never undertake any work on a patient without their full understanding and consent.

Consent to care and treatment

Patients should be treated with respect, involved in discussions about their care and treatment and able to influence how the service is run. We have a number of programmes in place to make sure we always deliver on this outcome. We select our dental teams based not only on their clinical skills, but also on their attitude and enthusiasm.

We ask for regular feedback from both staff and patients, and discuss the journey our patients take with us at every staff discussion. We recognise fear, anxiety and confusion, and take the time to explain, reassure and calm frayed nerves. We endeavour to explain things simply and always provide patients with a written record of treatment suggestions for them to take away and review.

Fees

People who pay for a service should know how much they have to pay, when and how to pay it, and what they will get for the amount paid. We are a private service, but we have worked hard to keep our fees as low as we can. We always itemize the cost of treatment and work with our patients to manage the flow of that work to suit their needs and financial situation.

Care and welfare of people who use services

People should get safe and appropriate care that meets their needs and supports their rights. The care and welfare of our patients is our passionate priority and is the centre of everything we do. We recognise the different needs of different individuals and never have a “one fits all policy”. Dentistry is about a personal and trusting relationship between patient and the dental team, our dentists work very hard to build and protect that trust. We have policies and procedures in place for safeguarding the vulnerable, and we train all of our staff in all of those processes.

Meeting nutritional needs

Food and drink should meet patients individual dietary needs. We do offer refreshments as water, coffee or tea, but we also offer advice for all of our patients in terms of the effect of their choices on oral health.

Cooperating with other providers

People should get safe and coordinated care when they move between different services. Where we need to refer patients outside of the practice, we always ensure full records and clinical details are provided to the referring clinician – again always with our patients knowledge and consent.

Safeguarding people who use services from abuse

People should be protected from abuse and staff should respect their human rights. A central policy and training theme in all that we do. We engender understanding, tolerance and, most importantly, empathy.

Cleanliness and infection control

We treat our patients in a clean environment and protect them from the risk of infection following de-contamination procedures. Located within a modern practice, with state of the art surgeries and reprocessing rooms, means that we are able to ensure a clean, safe environment for all our patients. We have a modern washer disinfector and vacuum autoclaves that delivers sterile equipment, with modern airflow systems to remove the risk of airborne bacteria. All practice staff are trained in the latest procedures and full records kept for the maintenance of all equipment. We have taken all the latest best practice information available today to make us a leading edge company in the essential areas of cleanliness and infection control.

Management of medicines

People should be given the medicines they need when they need them, and in a safe way. Our prescription service allows us to get the right medicines to our patients when they need them. We make sure the necessary antibiotics are available in the practice, so access is made even simpler.

Safety and suitability of premises

People should be cared for in safe and accessible surroundings that support their health and welfare. Our bright, airy, clean practice create both a feeling of calm and reassurance. By virtue of our location, parking and access is made easy for all, and we have worked hard to create a positive environment that people feel relaxed in, and able to discuss their dental concerns.

Safety, availability and suitability of equipment

People should be safe from harm from unsafe or unsuitable equipment. We have a number of programmes in place to make sure we always deliver on this outcome. We select our dental teams based not only on their clinical skills, but also on their ability to talk to, and empathise with their patients. We ask for regular feedback from both staff and patients, and discuss the journey our patients take with us at every staff discussion.

We recognise fear, anxiety and confusion, and take the time to explain, reassure and calm frayed nerves. We endeavour to explain things simply and always provide patients with a written record of treatment suggestions for them to take away and review.

Requirements relating to workers

People should be cared for by staff who are properly qualified and able to do their job. All our staff are well qualified individuals who are GDC and, where necessary, CQC registered. They pursue a continuous development programme to make sure they are knowledgeable about all new developments, and our Clinical Director, Dr Antimos Ouzounoglou works closely with many clinicians and specialists to enable us to offer the best treatments delivered with all modern techniques.

Staffing

There should be enough members of staff to keep people safe and meet their health and welfare needs. Our practice is always staffed with able and well qualified dentists, nurses and receptionists. Our training programmes are given to all members of staff so that policies and procedures are implemented by all.

Statement of purpose

People know that CQC is kept informed of the services being provided. We have a statement of purpose that is available for all of our patients to view at the practice. It underpins all of our goals as a practice and puts the patient at the centre of all that we do.

Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision

The service should have quality checking systems to manage risks and assure the health, welfare and safety of the patients who receive dental care. We do carry out regular internal assessments and review patient and staff feedback both in practice and by email or phone. This is done in order to ensure that we consider all of the patient outcomes and supports our work towards implementing best practices in all areas of our operation.

Records

Patients personal records, including medical records, should be accurate and kept safe and confidential. All patient records are electronically stored and regularly backed up. They are held securely on our dental computer system Exact (Software of excellence) and are dealt with in utmost confidence. Where records need to be shown or shared with any other parts or health care providers, it would be done with the full knowledge and consent of the patient.