Updated 17 July 2017
We carried out this announced inspection on 5 June 2017 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection in response to concerns raised to the CQC in order to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
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 form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.
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
Furzton Dental Centre is based in Milton Keynes and provides private treatment to patients of all ages. It is one of five practices in the area owned by Boodles Limited.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including for patients with disabled badges, are available near the practice.
One dentist works at the practice and is supported by a pool of eight nurses and five receptionists, who work across all five practices owned by the company. The practice has two treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. At the time of the inspection the practice did not have a registered manager in post.
On the day of inspection we collected 12 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.
During the inspection we spoke with the dentist, a dental nurse, a receptionist and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5.30pm
Our key findings were:
- Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise and report incidents and near misses.
- Premises and equipment were visibly clean, secure, properly maintained and kept in accordance with current legislation and guidance.
- There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and competent staff. Members of the dental team were up-to-date with their continuing professional development and supported to meet the requirements of their professional registration
- The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for protecting adults and children.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported, and worked well as a team.
- The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
We identified an area of notable practice.
In April 2017, staff invited pupils from a local primary school to visit a sister practice to educate them in oral health. We viewed feedback from the head teacher of the school which stated that the children loved brushing the giant set of teeth and looking at the equipment in the treatment room.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the practice’s arrangements for receiving and responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and through the Central Alerting System (CAS), as well as from other relevant bodies such as, Public Health England (PHE).
- Review the current legionella risk assessment and implement any recommendations.