Dental Surgery

We carried out this announced inspection on 6 June 2019 under section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection to check whether the 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

Dental Surgery is in a residential area of Sandiway. The practice provides NHS and private dental care for adults and children.

The provider had installed a ramp to facilitate access to the practice for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking is available opposite the practice.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, an associate dentist, three dental nurses and two receptionists. The dental team is supported by a practice manager. 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. The registered manager at Dental Surgery is the practice manager.

We received feedback from 29 people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was mostly positive.

During the inspection we spoke to both dentists, dental nurses, receptionists, 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 and Tuesday, 8.30am to 5.30pm

Thursday and Friday 8.30am to 12.30pm. Appointments on Thursday and Friday afternoons are sometimes available

Wednesday 8.30am to 12.30pm, reception only.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had appointed a lead for infection control, and had infection control procedures in place which reflected published guidance.
• The provider had safeguarding procedures in place.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and equipment were available.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures in place.
• Staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• The dental team provided preventive care and supported patients to achieve better oral health.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints. The practice dealt with complaints positively.
• The practice had a leadership and management structure and a culture of continuous improvement.
• The provider had robust systems in place to manage risk.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked patients and staff for feedback about the services they provided.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review the practice’s arrangements in relation to the frequency of receiving patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Central Alerting System and other relevant bodies, such as Public Health England.
• Review the practice’s protocols for auditing radiography and antibiotic prescribing to improve the quality of the service. The practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and action plans, and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.
• Review the practice's policies and procedures in relation to patient consent to care and treatment, to ensure they are in compliance with legislation, including the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and take into account relevant guidance.