Updated 12 May 2023
We undertook a follow-up focused inspection of Smith and Associates on 11 April 2023. This inspection was carried out to review the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who had remote access to a specialist dental advisor.
We had previously undertaken a comprehensive inspection of Smith and Associates on 15 November 2022 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well-led care and was in breach of regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for of Smith and Associates dental practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
When 1 or more of the 5 questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the area where improvement was required.
As part of this inspection we asked:
- Is it well-led?
Our findings were:
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 15 November 2022.
Background
Smith and Associates is in Hartlepool and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There are steps in front of the practice which may restrict access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. To overcome this, staff assist patients with the stairs, or refer them to a sister practice nearby which has step-free access. Car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with additional needs, including installing a hand-rail and coloured striping near the front steps, and availability of a hearing loop at reception.
The dental team includes a principal dentist, 2 associate dentists, a locum dentist, 9 dental nurses, a dental therapist and 4 receptionists. The principal dentist and a nurse manager collectively oversee the governance of the practice. The practice has 5 treatment rooms.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist and the nurse manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm
Friday 9am to 4.30pm.