Updated 31 August 2017
We carried out this announced inspection on 11 August 2017 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 registered provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We told the NHS England area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. They did not provide any information.
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
Thanet House Dental Care is in Bexley, in the London Borough of Bexley. It provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including those for patients with disabled badges, are available near the practice.
The dental team includes two dentists, a practice manager, a dental nurse, a trainee dental nurse, two receptionists (one of whom is also a qualified registered dental nurse), a dental hygienist and therapist, and a domestic member of staff. The practice has three treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.
On the day of inspection we collected 10 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, a dental nurse, a 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 from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is open from 8am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm on Thursdays, and from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm on Fridays.
Our key findings were:
- The practice was clean and well maintained.
- The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
- The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- The appointment system met patients’ needs.
- The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment mostly in line with current guidelines; improvements were required to ensure dental care records were maintained in line with current guidelines and that dentists used rubber dams in line with guidance from the British Endodontic Society when providing root canal treatment.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the practice's protocols for the completion of dental care records, taking into account guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping.
- Review the practice’s protocols for the use of rubber dam for root canal treatment taking into account guidelines issued by the British Endodontic Society