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Infection control and patient safety
Recently, some well-publicized breaches of infection control procedure amongst some members of the
dental profession have led to a compromise in patient safety and care. Pymble Dental Practice has a ‘nonnegotiable’ policy on infection control and procedures. Dr Cooke and Dr Farrington attended the most
recent Australian Dental Association Infection Control course to ensure our high standards of care were
completely up-to-date. We are proud to confirm that not only do our protocols meet the Australian
Standards, but we also have equipment that is ‘above and beyond’ what is required. For example, our
Miele hospital grade instrument washer is most commonly found in hospitals where keyhole surgical
instruments need to be properly cleaned prior to sterilisation.
(left) This $13,000 Miele
machine uses alternating
cycles of industrial acid and
caustic soda to clean the
instruments before using
steam , then high pressure
pumps rinse the
instruments.
Stringent protocols, high
quality autoclave
sterilisation equipment, and
a dedication to maintain
excellent conditions are
reflected in our continued
accreditation detailed in
this newsletter.
On the 21s August, our $16,000
autoclave sterilizer was put through 3
hours of tests to revalidate for
accreditation. It passed every test.
On a daily basis, every cycle is
checked via printout that all stages
were successful, and all critical
surgical instruments individually
labelled and tracked.
Right: Tracking register.
Below: Surgical instrument showing tracking label that changes colour only if properly sterilised.
Medical emergency training
Last week all staff-members attended a thorough refresher course run by Dr John Fahey on managing
medical emergencies in the Dental Surgery. It was a useful and enjoyable afternoon, in which we
were all put through our paces! Although we have never had an incident , we are all fully prepared
for whatever may arise!
Dr Fahey watches Kristy ventilate the patient
We are fully equipped with a defibrillator, emergency oxygen cylinder, and resuscitation equipment
We politely ask for your assistance in with updating your current medical conditions and medications
at your next appointment.
Practice Accreditation
“Achieving accreditation demonstrates a commitment
to the provision of excellent dental care and continuous
quality improvement within the practice.”- Quality
Innovation Performance
We are proud to announce that we became accredited
under new Commonwealth Government Guideline’s from 2013. You will be pleased to know that we
were one of the first 3 on the North Shore and indeed first 100 in the whole of Australia to achieve this.
As of August 2015 we are the first and one of two in Pymble to achieve this accreditation. With
systems and procedure manuals built up over decades we were easily able to pass the accreditation tests
at the first attempt. These systems underpin our hard-earned reputation for quality and service to the
North Shore community.
What is QIP Accreditation?
The accreditation of private dental practices is based on the integration of a set of Australian
Government National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards into everyday practice culture
and patient safety. These standards harmonise regulatory requirements passed down by both Federal
and State governments, with highlights being the demonstration of clear and evidence-based patient
benefits when visiting an accredited practice, as well as confidence in our strict infection control and
sterilisation procedures.
What this means for you
By choosing an accredited practice a patient can expect a reduction in clinical and general risks, as well as
the peace of mind in knowing that all staff are educated and engaged in the implementation of dental
systems and improvement of dental processes within their practice.
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards for Dentist’s were adopted by the Australian
Government Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in 2011. The attainment of these
standards means a dental practice has proven to be of the highest calibre in delivering quality patient
care within Australia.
We now proudly belong to a new age of accredited dental practices, meeting QIP quality standards of
patient care and sustainable cost structures for all patients.
What this means for us
This is a significant achievement for our practice and we are very proud to make this announcement and
assure you we are committed to ongoing improvement of the policies and procedures that govern our
dental practice, providing assurance to patients, staff, colleagues and peers that we are committed to
quality, safety and excellence across all standards.
Accreditation is independent recognition that we have met the requirements based on a defined criteria
and set of standards that all practices can be judged equally against. Accreditation provides assurance to
our patients, staff and everyone associated with the Practice that quality and performance standards
have been met and are being constantly evaluated and improved upon.