Understanding safeguarding and compliance in a dental lab is critical. Here, Emily and Eleanor Pittard break down what every lab should have in place to safeguard effectively.
‘Safeguarding’ is a word that gets thrown about quite a lot. It is usually followed by a chorus of agreement that it is definitely a good thing to be aware of, but not necessarily a deeper discussion of why it is and whose responsibility it is.
It is very easy to fall into the mindset that you already know what you need to and it’s probably not your concern anyway, it’s always someone else’s responsibility.
But the truth is dental laboratories play a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality dental care. Yes, their primary focus is on crafting dental prosthetics and appliances, but it is equally important to emphasise the significance of safeguarding in these settings.
Safeguarding measures protect vulnerable individuals and ensure compliance with legal obligations. In the United Kingdom, dental laboratories must adhere to specific laws and regulations to uphold patient safety and maintain professional standards.
The safeguarding legal framework
So, let’s look at the legal framework for safeguarding first. We have outlined the key laws that all lab owners should be aware of (and in fact, it’s good for anyone to be aware of them!).
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: This legislation places a general duty on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all employees and anyone affected by their work activities. Dental laboratories must provide a safe working environment for their staff and maintain the integrity of the dental products they produce.
General Dental Council (GDC) standards: The GDC sets standards for dental professionals, including dental technicians who work in dental laboratories. Compliance with these standards is mandatory and includes requirements related to infection control and patient confidentiality.
Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Dental laboratories often handle sensitive patient data, making data protection laws vital. Proper handling, storage, and disposal of patient information are crucial aspects of safeguarding in this context.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: This legislation aims to prevent harm to vulnerable individuals, including children and adults at risk. Dental laboratories must be aware of their responsibilities to report any concerns about vulnerable patients they may encounter through their work.
Creating a safeguarding policy
Bearing all of that in mind, what should you have in place to safeguard? Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, but rather what we would consider the minimum requirements for any business.
1. Designation of a safeguarding lead
Every dental laboratory should appoint a designated safeguarding lead. This individual will be responsible for overseeing and implementing safeguarding policies, as well as serving as the point of contact for any safeguarding concerns – this is usually the owner or manager in smaller businesses. Make sure, as an employee, that you are aware of who your lead is. If they do not work full time, there needs to be a second safeguard lead.
2. Training
Ensure that all laboratory staff receive training on safeguarding protocols and are aware of their responsibilities regarding patient safety and data protection. Comprehensive training should be completed every two years (according to the GDC), but it is very useful to go over the key aspects of safeguarding in your environment at least every quarter. Include it in your monthly meetings.
3. Infection control
Develop and maintain strict infection control measures to prevent cross-contamination. This includes the proper handling and disposal of dental materials and equipment. It is your responsibility to also safeguard their wellbeing physically and ensure you have the correct procedures in place to protect the patient, the dental team and your employees/co-workers.
4. Data protection
Establish procedures for handling patient data in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR. Ensure that patient information is securely stored and only accessible to authorised personnel. Make sure passwords are not saved to computers, nothing is left open when a computer is unattended, and you have firewalls in place to protect your data.
5. Reporting mechanisms:
Outline clear procedures for reporting any safeguarding concerns. This includes those related to vulnerable individuals and relevant authorities, such as the GDC or local safeguarding teams. This is where your policy and standing operating procedure (SOP) really come into play. Make sure that everyone has read and understood your policy and check it is robust. There are loads of great links and content online that can help you make sure you have everything in place.
6. Confidentiality
Emphasise the importance of patient confidentiality among laboratory staff. Implement policies that protect sensitive patient information from unauthorised access and ensure anyone who answers the phone receives training on what you can and cannot say.
Important responsibility
We mentioned above the importance of identifying and understanding the role of the safeguarding lead. It is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard. However, for some their responsibility might be just to let the lead know of their concerns and then hand it over to them.
The designated safeguarding lead is, however, responsible for ensuring that all policies and procedures are effectively implemented throughout the laboratory. They oversee staff training and monitor ongoing compliance and they regularly assess and review potential risks to patient safety and data security within the laboratory.
They must also act as the point of contact for staff to report safeguarding concerns and liaise with relevant authorities when necessary and continuously review and update safeguarding policies to reflect changes in legislation or best practices.
This is not an easy responsibility and should not be taken lightly by anyone. If you are in this position, make sure you are aware of your local safeguarding team and how to contact them both in and out of office hours. This is especially important if you are the owner and do not have anyone else in the business who can help.
As we said at the beginning, this is a very brief run through of a very important topic. But it should hopefully serve to point you in the right direction and emphasise just how important it is to be aware of safeguarding requirements and updates.
Catch up with the previous Technically Speaking columns:
- How to navigate the UK dental market
- What the lab industry can learn from clinics – and vice versa
- Why Pride Month is for everyone
- Recruitment and utilising the existing team
- Den-Tech: a charity for dental technicians
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