Safeguarding, Medicines, Devices and Data Incidents

Some patient safety issues follow specialist reporting routes because the risk goes beyond a routine clinical incident. Safeguarding concerns, medicines and device problems, workplace injuries, sharps incidents, data breaches, radiation events, infection outbreaks and allegations of abuse each have specific escalation and reporting requirements.

Dental nurses do not have to determine every legal threshold on their own. They must recognise when a specialist pathway is likely and promptly notify the appropriate lead. If a patient or colleague remains at risk, act without waiting for complete certainty.

Specialist routes to recognise

• Safeguarding: follow the practice pathway and, when required, the local authority, police or safeguarding board route.
• Medicines and devices: suspected adverse drug reactions or medical device incidents may need MHRA Yellow Card reporting.
• Workplace injury or dangerous occurrence: some incidents are reportable under RIDDOR or HSENI routes.
• Data breach: personal data breaches should be escalated to the data protection lead and, where appropriate, notified to the ICO.
• Serious regulated activity incidents: dental practices in England may need to notify the CQC through the registered person.
• Professional performance or conduct: serious unresolved concerns about a registrant may require GDC reporting.

These routes can overlap. For example, a contaminated instrument incident may require immediate patient care, internal incident reporting, infection prevention review, duty of candour, external regulator advice and possibly contacting other patients after a risk assessment.

Medical devices in dentistry

Specialist reporting routes exist because some safety issues affect more than one patient, one practice or one profession.