Merry Hill Dental Practice Closes After Failing to Comply with CQC Guidelines

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A dental practice in Merry Hill has been closed down by the Care Quality Commission after failing to comply with important health and safety guidelines.

The CQC made a number of recommendations following an unannounced visit to the practice, which is located in Embankment, in November last year.

The CQC closed down Smile Dental Clinic after concerns were raised about the standards of care, infection control and patient welfare. This is the first time the watchdog has taken such action against a dental service.

The inspection was carried out after representatives from Dudley Primary Care Trust raised concerns about the surgery and during the inspection, investigators uncovered used instruments in a sink, which they were later told had been there for at least two weeks. They were also informed that a sterilisation machine was not working and members of staff were unable to present full patient records when asked to do so.

Closer inspection also revealed that the latest infection control and patient safety audits dated back to 2010 and were associated with another surgery where the dentist had worked previously.

After the visit, the CQC issued a notice to the owner of the practice outlining why the clinic would be closed down. Andrea Gordon, deputy director of operations for the Central Region of the CQC, said that the findings were “completely unacceptable” and the CQC had no choice to take rapid action and close the practice to protect patients.

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