Dental Hospital Manchester

Updated 19 March 2019

The Dental Hospital Manchester provides routine dental care, specialist treatment and advice to the population of Manchester and the surrounding region. The dental hospital admits patients electively following referral by a healthcare professional. They also provide emergency dental care to those who do not have their own dentist. Specialities include oral surgery, paediatric dentistry, restorative dentistry, oral medicine and orthodontics.

A dental team of around 300 staff work in the hospital.

Updated 19 March 2019

We had not previously rated this hospital. We rated it them as outstanding.

Updated 19 March 2019

This service has not been inspected before. We rated it as outstanding because:

• People were protected by a strong comprehensive safety system, and a focus on openness, transparency and learning when things went wrong. Patient and staff safety was at the heart of the service.
• A proactive approach to anticipating and managing risks to people who use services was embedded and was recognised as the responsibility of all staff.
• Innovation was encouraged to achieve sustained improvements in safety and continual reductions in harm.
• The whole team were engaged in reviewing and improving safety and safeguarding systems.
• The dental hospital provided a lead role for patient safety at the Association of Dental Hospitals (ADH). The dental hospital hosts an annual patient safety conference with the ADH.
• Staff provided treatment in line with nationally recognised guidance including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, British Orthodontic Society, British Society of Periodontology and the Faculty of General Dental Practice.
• All staff were actively engaged in activities to monitor and improve quality and outcomes. Patient outcomes were actively monitored and reported regularly through the clinical safety dashboard.
• Multidisciplinary team working was at the heart of the service. The dental hospital had a dedicated hypodontia clinic. This involved restorative, orthodontic and oral surgery consultants. Patient outcomes from this clinic were actively monitored and repeatedly showed high patient satisfaction.
• Staff were compassionate and caring towards patients.
• The service was responsive to patients’ individual needs. The dental hospital had a dedicated special care dentist.
• The leadership, governance and culture were used to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centred care. Quality assurance was embedded within the culture of the service to continually improve quality and safety.
• There was compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels. Leaders at all levels demonstrated high levels of experience, capacity and capability needed to deliver excellent and sustainable care. There was a well-defined vision and strategy.
• Patient and staff safety were part of the culture of the service and this was palpable through discussion with staff. Staff were proud to work and the dental hospital and spoke passionately about the work which they did.

However:

• The general anaesthetic waiting list for children was excessive. As of June 2018, there were 958 children on the waiting list for a general anaesthetic, 596 (89%) of these had been on the waiting list for more than 18 weeks.
• Processes did not always maintain patient privacy and dignity whilst they were in the waiting room mid-treatment.
• The lift was not always fully working which impacted on the arrangements for patients with limited mobilities.