The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Archived: Tregenna Hill Dental Surgery

Tregenna Hill, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1SF (01736) 796260

Provided and run by:
Dr. Jonathan Poznansky

All Inspections

6 April 2016

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 6 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.

Background

Tregenna Hill Dental Surgery is located in the coastal town of St Ives in Cornwall.The surgery is on an upper floor of an end terrace property in St Ives with access via steps and there are also

some steps within the building. There are two treatment rooms and a reception and waiting area.

The practice provides NHS dental services to approximately 4,300 adults and children. The practice offers a range of dental services including routine examinations and treatment, veneers and crowns and bridges.

The surgery is run as an expense sharing partnership between two dentists who are registered as independent providers. The providers share policies, procedures and the majority of support staff. The staff structure of the practice consists of a principal dentist, a dental nurses, and a practice manager/receptionist.

The practice opening hours are Monday from 9am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours a service is available via the 111 out of hour’s service. These details are displayed at the entrance to the practice, and are visible from the outside the practice when the practice is closed.

The principal dentist is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. 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.

The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a CQC inspector with telephone access to a dental specialist advisor.

We spoke with three patients who provided feedback about the service. Patients were positive about the care they received from the practice. They were complimentary about the friendly, professional and caring attitude of the dental staff.

Our key findings were:

  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with current guidance such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
  • There were effective systems in place to reduce and minimise the risk and spread of infection.
  • The practice had effective safeguarding processes in place and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children living in vulnerable circumstances.
  • Staff knew how to report incidents and how to record details of these so that the practice could use this information for shared learning.
  • Equipment, such as the air compressor, autoclave (steriliser), fire extinguishers, and X-ray equipment had all been checked for effectiveness and had been regularly serviced.
  • Patients indicated that they felt they were listened to and that they received good care from a helpful and caring practice team.
  • The practice ensured staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.
  • The practice had implemented clear procedures for managing comments, concerns or complaints.
  • Governance arrangements were in place for the smooth running of the practice.

9 December 2014

During a routine inspection

Dr Jonathan Poznanski provides NHS dental treatment at Tregenna Hill Dental Surgery to approximately 4,300 people in west Cornwall. The surgery is run as an expense sharing partnership between two dentists who are registered as independent providers. The providers share policies, procedures and the majority of support staff. In this report, we will use the word ‘surgery’ when referring to the whole service, and ‘practice’ when referring to the individual provider.

The surgery is on an upper floor of an end terrace property in St Ives with access via steps and there are also some steps within the building. There is no wheelchair access.

Nine patients completed our comment cards and we spoke with two by phone following this visit. Some patients had been coming to the practice for over twenty years and were very happy with the care and treatment they received. One had called in because they suffered a toothache while on holiday and had been pleased to get attention promptly. Patients said the staff were very helpful, discreet and always polite and caring. They found the environment relaxing, warm and comfortable. Some patients said their treatment had always been satisfactory in spite of complex dental problems.

Safe systems were in place for dealing with medical emergencies and fire safety. Infection control measures were in place but the required audits had not been carried out, so the team had not determined where improvements were needed.

We saw that improvements had been made to the arrangements for supporting staff since our visit in 2013. There were records of staff training that had been achieved and of staff appraisals that included their plans for future development.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider must make improvements;

  • The provider must monitor the quality of their service, including audits of record keeping and audits of the quality of their X-rays. Infection control measures must be audited at six monthly intervals.

There were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements;

  • Training or guidance should be provided for staff about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 so they know how to obtain professional support where necessary for a patient who could not give informed consent to treatment and whose carer may not make decisions in their best interest.
  • An assessment should be carried out in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act. This would identify action that could be taken to help patients with varying disabilities, even with the constraints posed by a historic building.
  • The provider should carry out a patient survey and record minor concerns so the practice may respond and demonstrate any action taken in response.
  • There should be a structured induction for new staff.

We will ask the provider to send us an action plan showing how and when the practice will be compliant with the regulations.

19 November 2013

During a routine inspection

All three of the patients we spoke with were happy with the care and treatment they received at Tregenna Hill Dental Surgery. Comments included, 'brilliant', 'very welcoming', 'the dentist puts me at ease" and 'I can't fault it, I wouldn't go anywhere else'.

People's privacy, dignity and independence were respected and care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

People were protected from the risk of infection because appropriate decontamination procedures were used although the provider had had failed to fully comply with the essential quality requirements of HTM01-05.

People were cared for by staff who had not been supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.