Enter and view: Bramingham Dental Clinic, Luton

On 15 March 2017 Healthwatch Luton completed an Enter and View visit to the Bramingham Dental Clinic. Authorised representatives conducted short interviews with 5 members of staff and 7 patients.

Purpose of visit:

• To engage with service users of dental surgeries and understand how NHS costs are communicated to the public

• Identify examples of good working practice

• Observe patients engaging with the staff and their surroundings

• Capture the experience of residents and relatives and any ideas they may have for change

Summary of findings:

• Everyone spoken with on the day, including staff and patients thought the service was run very well.

• Clear information was provided regarding costs and structure of costs, as well as how to make a complaint.

• The staff could speak a wide range of languages.

• This clinic had low numbers of DNA’s (did not attend) due to their reminder services through texts, emails or calls.

Recommendations:

• As all those patients we talked to did not understand the banding structure of NHS costs, or the treatments available per band, Healthwatch Luton would recommend this clinic promotes this further to their patients. Despite having posters on the notice boards, the patients still seem unaware.

• Communications on the importance of children’s dental care is essential, with two patients at this clinic (one with a 2yr old and one with a 4yr old) not understanding the importance of dental care at this age, and not bringing them to the dentist.

• Communications to both staff and patients on the complaints process. Although Healthwatch Luton saw the complaints process on the notice board the patients we spoke with were still unaware of how to make a complaint.

Provider response is included in this report with recognition to a number of changes to be implemented.