A dental practice has been found to be failing one “essential standard” following a health inspection.

The Beverley Clinic, a private dental practice in Coombe Lane, West Wimbledon, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on March 27.

The practice met all other key areas including standards of providing care and treatment, respect of patients, staffing and management but was found to be failing in one key area on “caring for people safely and protecting them from harm” in regards to infection control.

Inspectors raised concerns over the way in which instruments were stored following sterilisation – on trays unwrapped in a cupboard – and urged the practice to make improvements.

The report said: “Instruments on the top trays might not be being used as regularly as those on the lower ones.

“Current guidance states that if instruments are stored unwrapped they will need to be reprocessed if not used within that treatment session.

"We have asked the dentist to tell us how he will ensure that instruments are maintained in a clinically satisfactory condition, up to the point of use, and that the risk of infection is minimised.”

The practice must now provide the CQC with a report on how it will make improvements within 28 days.

A spokesman for the practice said: “We failed on one thing and that was how we stored our instruments overnight.

“We have now changed the way we do that and now everything is stored correctly as per CQC regulations.”

Inspectors will return unannounced to ensure improvements have been made.

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