Archived: Bupa - Church Road, Lytham

Updated 30 July 2015

This inspection took place on the 25 June 2015. The inspection team consisted of two Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors and a dental specialist advisor.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the provider. We also reviewed information we asked the provider to send us in advance of the inspection. This included their latest statement of purpose describing their values and their objectives and a record of any complaints received in the last 12 months.

During the inspection we toured the premises and spoke with practice staff, including two dentists, dental nurses, receptionists, the practice manager and practice co-ordinator. We also spoke with five senior managers from Oasis Dental Care who visited the practice on the day of the inspection. To assess the quality of care provided we looked at practice policies and protocols and other records relating to the management of the service.

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 30 July 2015

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 25 June 2015 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

Windmill Dental Surgery is part of Brand Oasis Dental Care, a national organisation which operates dental practices across the United Kingdom. The practice offers both NHS (approximately 70%) and private dental care services to patients of all ages. The services provided include preventative advice and treatment and routine and restorative dental care. One of the dentists carries out dental implants. The practice has four treatment rooms and a decontamination room. The waiting room and one of the treatment rooms are on the ground floor of the premises.

The practice has four dentists, a part-time dental hygienist/therapist, five dental nurses and a dental nurse trainee; in addition to a practice manager, practice co-ordinator and reception staff. The practice manager is the registered manager and is also responsible for one other practice. 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.

The practice is open Monday and Thursday from 8.30am to 7pm, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8.30am to 5pm and on Friday from 8.30am to 4pm.

16 patients provided feedback to us about the service. Patients we spoke with and who completed CQC comment cards were positive about the care they received from the practice.

Our key findings were:

• The practice had systems to assess and manage risks to patients, including for infection prevention and control, health and safety and the management of medical emergencies.

• There were systems in place to check all equipment had been serviced regularly

• The practice carried out oral health assessments and planned treatment in line with current best practice guidance

• We reviewed 16 comment cards that had been completed by patients. Common themes were patients felt they were listened to and received good care in a clean environment from a helpful practice team.

• The practice had an efficient appointment system in place to respond to patients’ needs

• There were clearly defined leadership roles within the practice and staff told us they felt well supported and comfortable to raise concerns or make suggestions.
• Governance systems were effective and there was a range of clinical and non-clinical audits undertaken to monitor the quality of the service.