DynamoDental

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Regulation 15 (Premises and equipment)

CQC Regulation 15: premises and equipment

Regulation 15 is the part of the CQC's fundamental standards that deals with the physical environment of care. It requires that premises and equipment used to deliver a regulated activity are clean, secure, suitable for the purpose they are used for, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located.

Jurisdiction
England
Last verified
9 September 2026
Next review
9 March 2027
Version
1

In plain English

Regulation 15 is the part of the CQC's fundamental standards that deals with the physical environment of care. It requires that premises and equipment used to deliver a regulated activity are clean, secure, suitable for the purpose they are used for, properly used, properly maintained and appropriately located.

For a dental practice, 'equipment' includes the treatment centre and chair, the compressor that supplies air to handpieces, the suction plant, the amalgam separator and everything else the surgery depends on. The CQC does not set a service interval for any of these. It expects the provider to follow the manufacturer's instructions and any relevant legislation, and to be able to show that it has done so.

Inspectors look for evidence rather than assurances: a maintenance schedule, records showing that it is being followed, and proof that faults are dealt with. Well-maintained equipment with poor records can still be a finding, because the provider cannot demonstrate that the standard is met.

Who does what

Your responsibility as the provider

The registered provider (the practice, not its contractors) is responsible for meeting Regulation 15. Using a contractor for the work does not transfer the duty: the provider remains answerable to the CQC. In practice this means:

  • Knowing what equipment the practice has and where it is
  • Having a maintenance arrangement for each item that reflects the manufacturer's instructions
  • Keeping records that show maintenance has been carried out and faults have been resolved
  • Taking equipment out of use when it is unsafe or unsuitable, and recording the decision
  • Reviewing the arrangements periodically, for example at practice meetings or audits

What Dynamo Dental delivers directly

Dynamo Dental carries out the engineering side of this for dental chairs and treatment units, compressors, suction systems and amalgam separators. We help practices organise relevant maintenance records and identify next actions within the agreed scope. The practice remains responsible for ensuring its regulatory duties are met.

Within that scope we provide:

  • Planned servicing to the manufacturer's schedule, with a service report matched to each asset
  • Repairs, with a report describing the fault found, the work done and any parts fitted
  • Installation of replacement equipment, with a record of what was installed and commissioned
  • An asset register entry for each item we look after, showing the last and next service dates
  • Remedial recommendations, clearly separated from the work completed

Verified specialist competence, or a specialist partner

Regulation 15 covers all premises and equipment, including items Dynamo Dental does not maintain. The following need their own specialist arrangements, and we say so rather than fold them into a general service:

  • Decontamination equipment (sterilisers, washer-disinfectors): validation and periodic testing by a competent decontamination engineer
  • Pressure systems: written scheme of examination and periodic examination by a competent person, which we can coordinate but do not carry out
  • X-ray equipment: servicing and quality assurance under the practice's Radiation Protection Adviser and Medical Physics Expert
  • Fixed electrical installation and medical gases: appropriately qualified and registered contractors
  • Water safety: Legionella risk assessment by a competent assessor

Outside our scope

Dynamo Dental does not:

  • Carry out or stand in for a CQC inspection, or provide a compliance audit
  • Certify that a practice, a surgery or an item of equipment meets Regulation 15
  • Advise on the parts of Regulation 15 that concern buildings, cleanliness, security or clinical practice
  • Use terms such as 'CQC approved' for itself or its customers, because no such approval exists for a supplier

Questions

Questions on this topic

Does a service report from Dynamo Dental show that we meet Regulation 15?

No. A service report is evidence that a particular item was serviced on a particular date and what was found. Regulation 15 is met by the provider's overall arrangements: knowing what it has, maintaining it, recording it and acting on faults. Our reports are one part of that evidence, kept in a form inspectors can follow.

How often does the CQC say dental chairs and compressors must be serviced?

The CQC does not set intervals. It expects equipment to be maintained in line with the manufacturer's instructions and any legislation that applies, and expects the practice to be able to show that. Most manufacturers publish a planned maintenance interval for their equipment; check the documentation for your model rather than relying on a general rule.

Other topics

Not sure what records you should have?

The Practice Engineering Survey establishes what exists and what is missing, without claiming to be an audit.

Report a problem Get a servicing quote