9 January 2014
During a routine inspection
We asked staff how emergency appointments were managed. They told us that each emergency was assessed individually and emergencies were always seen on the same day. Patients we spoke with confirmed this. One person told us 'I have never had a problem being seen by someone'.
We spoke with three members of staff about their understanding of safeguarding issues in relation to vulnerable adults and children. They all demonstrated a clear understanding of signs and behaviours associated with potential abuse and what they should look out for as well as their responsibilities in relation to acting upon any suspicions or concerns.
The description for the decontamination and sterilisation processes was explained to us and was in line with the Department of Health requirements 'Decontamination Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices' (HTM 01-05).
Patients and their representatives were asked for their views about their care and treatment. We saw that this was done through a comments box that was reviewed on a monthly and bi-yearly basis. Comments included 'Very friendly, excellent' and 'Very friendly, caring and considerate'.