Archived: Tregenna Hill Dental Surgery

Updated 21 September 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.

We carried out an announced, comprehensive inspection on 6 April 2016. The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a CQC inspector with telephone access to a dental specialist advisor.

We reviewed information received from the provider prior to the inspection. During our inspection we reviewed policy documents and spoke with four members of staff. We conducted a tour of the practice and looked at the storage arrangements for emergency medicines and equipment. A dental nurse demonstrated how they carried out decontamination procedures of dental instruments.

We spoke with three patients during our inspection. 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.

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 21 September 2016

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 practice manager/dental nurse.

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.