Archived: The Corner House Dental Practice

Updated 13 June 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The inspection was carried out on 19 April 2016 by a lead CQC inspector and a dental specialist advisor.

During the inspection we spoke with one of the registered managers, two dentists, four dental nurses and one hygienist. We looked around the premises and the treatment rooms. We reviewed a range of policies and procedures and other documents including dental care records. We reviewed 50 CQC comments cards.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it caring?

• Is it responsive to people’s needs?

• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 13 June 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 19 April 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found that this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found that this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found that this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

The Corner House is a general dental practice in Horsham, West Sussex, offering NHS and private dental treatment to adults and children.

The practice is situated in the centre of Horsham. The practice has four treatment rooms, a decontamination room for the cleaning, sterilising and packing of dental instruments and a waiting/ reception area. The main entrance to the practice is located on the ground floor of the building. Due to steps at the front of the building, the practice is not accessible for wheelchair users. The practice is contained over three floors. There is a patient toilet on the first floor.

The practice is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm. The practice offers Saturday appointments once a month for private patients.

The Corner House has six dentists (two of whom are registered managers and owners), six dental nurses (two of whom are trainees), two hygienists and two receptionists. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission (CQC) comments cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience of the practice. We collected 50 completed cards. All of the comments cards provided a positive view of the service the practice provides. Patients commented that staff were helpful, polite and caring. Several patients commented that the practice was clean, hygienic and safe.

Our key findings were:

• There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. The practice was visibly clean and well maintained.
• There were systems in place to check all equipment had been serviced regularly, including the steriliser, fire extinguishers and the X-ray equipment.
• The practice had effective systems in place to gain the comments and views of people who used the service.
• Patients were satisfied with the treatment they received and were complimentary about staff at the practice.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continued professional development (CPD).
• We observed that staff showed a caring and attentive approach towards patients. All patients were recognised and greeted warmly on arrival at reception.
• The practice had effective safeguarding processes in place and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• Staff were proud of the practice and their team. Staff felt well supported and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.