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  5. Northern Ireland: RQIA requirements for dental practices 2025

Northern Ireland: RQIA requirements for dental practices 2025

An overview of RQIA requirements and the corresponding BDA member resources available to support you.

Contents

  • Overview
  • Safe

Overview

To help the RQIA ascertain whether care is safe, effective and compassionate and whether the practice is well led, it looks at a wide range of evidence against a number of indicators.

In 2025, the inspections focus on the following areas:

  • Recruitment and selection of staff
  • Staff training
  • Management of medical emergencies
  • Arrangements in respect of conscious sedation, if applicable
  • Infection prevention and control (IPC)
  • Decontamination of reusable dental instruments
  • Management of operations in response to COVID-19 pandemic
  • Radiology and radiation safety
  • Governance arrangements and review of the Regulation 26 report, as applicable
  • Management of complaints and incidents
  • Environmental safety
  • Gathering views and opinions of patients
  • Quality assurance arrangements (audits and sharing learning) and follow up of any other relevant intelligence
  • Review of areas for improvement identified during the previous care inspection (if applicable)

Is care safe?

Does it avoid and prevent harm to patients from the care, treatment and support that is intended to help them?

Indicator S1

There are, at all times, suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working in the service in such numbers as are appropriate for the health and welfare of service users.

Staffing: Evidence and support

  • A system is in place to ensure all staff, including visiting professionals, receive appropriate training in line with GDC Enhanced CPD requirements and RQIA training guidance
  • There are arrangements for monitoring the GDC registration status of all clinical staff; records should be retained for inspection.
  • There are arrangements for monitoring the professional indemnity of all staff (including visiting professionals) who require individual indemnity cover; records should be retained for inspection
  • All staff providing services in the practice, including visiting professionals, should be either directly employed by the practice and have a contract of employment /agreement or have a practising privilege agreement in place

 

Is care safe?

Does it avoid and prevent harm to patients from the care, treatment and support that is intended to help them?

Indicator S1

There are, at all times, suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons working in the service in such numbers as are appropriate for the health and welfare of service users.

Staffing

Evidence Related support

There are sufficient numbers of staff in various roles to fulfil the needs of the practice and patients.

There is an induction programme in place appropriate to the role.

A system is in place to ensure staff receive annual appraisals and records are retained.

A system is in place to ensure all staff, including visiting professionals, receives appropriate training to fulfil the duties of their role in keeping with the General Dental Council (GDC) Enhanced CPD requirements and RQIA training guidance.

There are arrangements for monitoring the GDC registration status of all clinical staff; records should be retained for inspection.

There are arrangements for monitoring the professional indemnity of all staff (including visiting professionals) who require individual indemnity cover; records should be retained for inspection.

 N/A

All staff providing services in the practice, including visiting professionals, should be either directly employed by the practice and have a contract of employment /agreement or have a practising privilege agreement in place.
   
Evidence Help and Advice
There are sufficient numbers of staff in various roles to fulfil the needs of the practice and patients. Recruiting and employing staff checklist:
Download Checklist

Job descriptions list:
Download Job Descriptions
There is an induction programme in place appropriate to the role.
A system is in place to ensure staff receive annual appraisals and records are retained.		 Staff induction programme template:
Download Induction Template

Performance appraisals template:
Download Appraisal Template
A system is in place to ensure all staff, including visiting professionals, receive appropriate training in line with GDC Enhanced CPD and RQIA guidance. GDC CPD link:
GDC CPD Website
There are arrangements for monitoring the GDC registration status of all clinical staff; records should be retained for inspection. Record Management:
Download Record Management Policy
There are arrangements for monitoring the professional indemnity of all staff (including visiting professionals) who require individual indemnity cover; records should be retained for inspection. N/A
All staff providing services in the practice, including visiting professionals, should be employed or have a practising privilege agreement in place. BDA advice sheet - contract and rights of employees:
View BDA Advice Sheet