A TROUBLED dental surgery in Blackburn has made several improvements over the summer, according to a regulator.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published a damning report on Netherwood Dental Surgery in May, after inspectors found it was failing to meet five basic standards of care.

MORE TOP STORIES:

In the same week, practice dentist Holger Held was struck off for treating patients without having proper insurance.

Although the latest CQC report still lists Mr Held as the registered provider, staff confirmed he is no longer practising at the surgery.

After their recent visit to the premises in Preston New Road, the CQC inspectors said: “We found the dental surgery had started to implement infection protection and control processes.

“Although these were not fully embedded, there was a robust plan available to demonstrate the progress made with this outcome.

“We found the dental surgery had developed some policies to assist staff to carry out their roles and responsibilities in a safe manner (and) staff training had been implemented and recorded.

“All out-of-date medication and equipment found at our first inspection had been appropriately disposed of and receipts were available to demonstrate this. This had been carried out in line with local policy and manufacturers guidelines.

“We found personal files had been implemented for all staff and one new member of staff had recently been recruited, following the practice’s recruitment policy.”

Staff had also received training to manage all records and confidential information held within the practice, the report added.

Mr Held was sanctioned by the General Dental Council’s professional conduct committee, for working without indemnity cover between May 31 and July 11 in 2013.

Staff at the surgery declined to comment yesterday.