Practice Information

Staff Meeting Summary 18/05/2023

Present ML, CN, MC, RS, SB, ZT, OC, BW.

Recent CQC

Well done to us all for fantastic feedback from the CQC! Thank you to all the work that was done, in preparation for the day and on the day itself. But mainly how well we work every day as a team!!

It was great to hear that we are doing such a good job- keep up the good work 😊😊😊

Wheelchair/ Disability Access

Following on from the incident with MC pt on 10/05/2023, we discussed our disability access policy.

We decided if a patient tells us they are arriving in a wheelchair or has mobility issues, we will ask if they can come with a carer who can assist them into the practice, transfer them into the chair (if required/possible) and then stay in the practice to assist them on their journey home. We have a ‘Transfer from Wheelchair to Dental Chair’ procedure which can be found in the Practice Policies – Health and Safety.

This says’ ‘The extent of your involvement will depend on the patient's or caregiver's ability to help and should only be attempted if confident to do so. Clinicians may need to consider referral to specialist clinic for safe treatment of wheelchair dependent patients.’

The decision on whether to attempt a transfer into the dental chair must be made by the patient, the caregiver and the clinician. The nurse present must only assist if they feel confident to do so.

If a decision is made that it is unsafe to transfer, then this must be explained to the patient and/or carer; then any treatment that can be carried out will be done in their chair as far as possible. They may need a referral to have further treatment carried out.

Medical Histories

We have a few occasions recently where new patients have arrived and they haven’t completed the portal and don’t wish to complete the Clinipad (often issues around technology). We have on occasion been helping them with this over reception or sat with them in the waiting room. However, due to the lack of privacy we are going to stop doing this. In these circumstances, the clinician will record the MH verbally and then the patient will sign the Clinipad at reception. We will trial some paper MH forms (when I’ve created them!) for these fortunately rare occasions.

Again, we discussed checking medication verbally with patients as they often say no changes when their meds have changed.

Antibiotic prescribing

Occasionally we are missing batch number and expiry date- nurses remind CN/MC/LG if noticed.

Flushing lines

Remember to flush all lines daily, this includes the portable NSK scaler in MC surgery and all the lines in the hyg surgery.

Log Sheets

Please make sure you are on the right month on the daily log sheets.

Day lists

Day lists are still getting left in surgeries overnight. For confidentiality, please give to reception or put in locked filing cabinet at end of day.

Tooth Whitening

Increase in prices- full course £295, 1x tube £25, 2x tube £45, 4x tubes £80. Please select the 48 hour service on the lab voucher- book appointments 1 week apart.

Car Park

The car park has been very busy recently but especially on 4 surgery days. We have had some comments from patients. All patient emails explain we have a small carpark that may not always have available spaces; this also gives the location of the free carpark that we all use. I have changed the emails to make this stand out more and be more visible on emails.

Reception

All upstairs clinics are now marked in bright green stripes. When booking in these clinics please ask patient if they can/want to use the stairs- leave a note on the appointment.

When saving emails, please check the email is saved to the correct person ie. Husband/wife sharing an email or parents emailing re child.

If pt cancelling for specific reason ie. very ill- please leave note on telephone tab. This helps when contacting the patient with recalls etc.

If a patient declines or doesn’t wish to book hyg appt at exam, please TC these COT’s and leave a note on the telephone tab.

Emergency gaps- please leave these gaps until the same day if poss- if you book over, please put another one in at a different time. CN diary now finishing at 1pm on Friday so if necessary one emergency can be seen at end of session.

When a patient calls to cancel ex/hyg appointments, please make sure both parts of the appointment are cancelled.

New, new, new cleaner!

Sarah, our new cleaner, starts on 22/05/2023.

Upstairs kitchen

We discussed the upstairs kitchen. After buying a new fridge, we will soon be moving everything ‘kitchen’ upstairs and using daily. Eventually the downstairs kitchen will be decommissioned and made into a ‘multipurpose/meeting’ room with possibly an OPG in the future.

Garden

Garden and back patio not looking its best. We are looking into replacing the gardener and getting a skip for the remaining rubbish. Mike will contact his gardener to see if he wants he work.

Fire Drill

We reviewed our fire drill procedure; if rear emergency exit is used, if safe to do so, make way to front of the building, end of carpark.

Next Topic CPD

Following on from the tremendous amount of lovely training done prior to CQC, let’s all have a few weeks off!

Thank you all again for your great teamwork!!

Mandy 😁x