Narrowing it down to a shortlist was hard enough but trying then to decide on an overall winner was even more difficult. In the end though the judges were unanimous and the award goes to MF Dental.
On the way to MF Dental schülke’s Scotland and Ireland regional rep Allan Wright explained to me how he had actually had to persuade Alison McGugan (MF Dental’s practice manager) to enter the competition – and how striking it was that the team didn’t really appreciate how good they actually were. On introduction Alison said that the team was “chuffed to bits” to have been shortlisted, but she seemed to constantly be trying to underplay their achievements. There was barely a sentence gone by without her stressing that she was “sure all practices do the same”, or that it was “just as you would expect” – and she seemed almost apologetic that “a small practice, out of the way in Airdrie” had been shortlisted. When I questioned her about this she commented “we tend to hide our light under a bushel in Scotland”. Well I hope she will forgive me for trying to change all that because MF Dental was a worthy winner of the first ever schülke Infection Prevention and Control Practice of the Year competition, and in particular, Alison’s attitude and commitment are shining examples of good practice that are worthy of attention.
MF Dental is a busy two surgery practice on the outskirts of Airdrie. Principal dentist Murray Fallow was born and raised in the town and the practice which opened 21 years ago is an integral part of the local community. The practice is predominantly NHS – and will typically see over 40 patients a day, this presents quite a logistical challenge to the infection control protocols. It is a challenge that Alison has relished though, and when speaking to her it was clear how a consideration of infection prevention and control affects every aspect of the practice, from before the first patient of the day until after the last.
She explained: “Infection control is fundamental to keeping patients safe. As soon as they come in the door they need to feel safe, lots of what we do might seem petty, but it is fundamental to reassuring and empowering patients.”
Alison’s commitment to infection prevention and control has meant that MF Dental has gone well beyond the minimum regulatory requirements to ensure patient safety – from dipslide tests ensuring water purity to the bagging of all instruments each day. The decon room is not large, but fully compliant and the team operate the facility with frightening efficiency. For any practice time is a consideration but the sheer volume of patients coming through the door at MF Dental means it is especially testing. However, the team are well drilled and Alison’s infectious passion for protocol has rubbed off onto her nurses Rachel Stewart and Lisa Martin. Alison was full of praise for the nurses and how they have progressed in their roles and understood the responsibilities they have been given. Aside from regular CPD activity the team get together once a week for in practice training where the essentials of infection control are emphasised and all are reminded of its importance.
Worthy winners
MF Dental’s practise was chosen as winner partly because of the holistic approach to infection prevention and control. It was not a single outstanding achievement or innovation that caught the eyes of the judges but the continued passion and commitment of the team and the embedding of infection control procedures into every aspect of the patient journey and instrument cycle.
The award was presented to the MF Dental team by professor Andrew Smith of the University of Glasgow Dental School at this year’s BDIA Dental Showcase. Speaking at the show Alison commented: “This award is for the whole team, Murray, Jennifer, Rachel and Lisa. We are a small practice in North Lanarkshire, but we work really hard – with a little help from Allan from schülke – all you can ever do is your best, and we do that every day to ensure that our practice is clean and safe for our patients.”
Practice principal Murray commented: “This award is very little to do with me; I just concentrate on fixing teeth. Alison is a fantastic manager and we have a great team who ensure all the correct processes and procedures are in place. I have to come clean and say when Alison first suggested entering I said to her I think most dental awards are naff, but we are very pleased to win this one as it actually means something, after all what could be more important than keeping the practice clean and safe for our patients?”
Stuart Thompson, managing director of George Warman Publications, echoed Murray’s sentiments. He commented: “When we first discussed the idea of doing a competition we were clear we wanted to do a proper competition that had real credibility on an issue that is important and relevant to practices across the UK. Congratulations to the MF Dental team who thoroughly deserve the award and can proudly call themselves the schülke Infection Prevention and Control Practice of the Year.”
Highly commended
The quality of entries for the Infection Prevention and Control Practice of the Year was extremely high, and while MF Dental was a worthy winner the judges did feel it necessary to recognise the other highly commended practices.
Arnold Dental Centre
Arnold Dental Centre in Nottingham is a family practice that was established over 40 years ago. Over the years it has seen many changes to the infection control regulations but has always strived to be the best. Despite a positive CQC report the team at Arnold Dental Centre decided to install a brand new specially designed decontamination room in the autumn of last year. The investment has completely changed their working method and ensured they are hitting best practice requirements. Infection prevention and control is a real team affair at Arnold Dental, and the nurses input has been invaluable to ensuring the process is as smooth and efficient as it can be.
Boclair Dental Practice
Situated in Bearsden, Glasgow, Boclair Dental Practice is a two surgery mixed practice which has seen significant growth in the past three years. Richard Beirne, the principal dentist, is head of the practice but the decon lead Emma is the driving force behind the infection control procedure. She immediately embraced the high targets Richard set and has put in place procedures to ensure that the team never slips from them, be that in practice or at one of the many domiciliary visits the practice team makes. The growth of the practice is presenting fresh challenges and Richard and the team are already planning for a full-time dedicated LDU nurse.