During our inspection of Queensbury Dental Practice on 25 November 2013, we found the provider had built a dedicated decontamination facility containing the appropriate equipment to clean and sterilise instruments after each use. The room also contained appropriate and dedicated hand wash facilities and storage space. The staff we spoke with were trained and knowledgeable in its use. We saw records demonstrating both the autoclaves (instrument sterilisers) were tested to ensure they were operating effectively. We found that staff were flushing (a process of running water and disinfectant through the lines to prevent bacterial growth) the dental unit water lines (DUWLs) daily. They demonstrated a good understanding of how and why they completed the flushing process and the equipment/products they used to complete the task.
We saw that the service had an infection control audit process in place and overall there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.
However, we found that the hot water temperature in some parts of the premises presented a scalding risk. Also, the only operational toilet for staff and patients was not fit for purpose, and did not ensure people had access to a safe and suitable facility.