Is your practice well led?

Quality assurance is the top priority. In April 2015, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) changed the way in which it inspects dental practices. Quality assurance is now top of the inspector's priority list and every team member has a part to play in meeting legally binding Fundamental Standards. So what is quality assurance? Well, it is the process of planning your compliance, reviewing, monitoring and evaluating your systems and acting upon any discrepancies or areas for improvement in an appropriate timeframe. The bottom line is that you can provide the CQC inspector with evidence for reviewing and updating policies and procedures annually and for all risk assessments, audits and surveys carried out within the correct period. This process can take up a significant amount of time. Sharing the compliance load not only means that it is a team effort but also that the practice manager is not left short of time for other essential business activities.