Updated 13 August 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 23 July 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 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
Bradley Shorthouse Dental Clinic is in Kidderminster and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
The practice is situated in a listed building and is accessed up a small flight of stairs. The practice informs all new patients wishing to register that they are not wheelchair accessible and signpost patients that cannot manage the stairs to a nearby practice. There are several pay and display car parks within a 10-minute walk of the practice which also have parking spaces available for blue badge holders.
The dental team includes four dentists, one dental hygiene therapist, two dental hygienists, six dental nurses, two receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Bradley Shorthouse Dental Clinic is the practice manager.
On the day of inspection, we collected 49 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and received CQC share your experience feedback from 121 patients.
During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, three dental nurses, one 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 from 8am to 5pm.
Tuesday from 9am to 5pm.
Wednesday from 8am to 5pm.
Thursday from 9am to 5pm.
Friday from 8am to 3pm.
Our key findings were:
- Effective leadership was provided by the partners and an empowered practice manager.
- Staff we spoke with felt valued and well supported by the practice manager. The team were committed to providing a high-quality service to their patients.
- The practice appeared clean and well maintained. An external company was contracted to provide a cleaning service and schedules were maintained to monitor this.
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available, with the exception of a size 0 oropharyngeal airway and clear face masks (sizes 1, 2, 3 and 4). The oxygen cylinder was smaller than the 460 litres recommended in resuscitation guidelines. These were items were all ordered and replaced the day after our inspection.
- The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. There was a process in place for the reporting and shared learning when significant events occurred in the practice.
- The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable 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.
- Staff provided preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
- The appointment system took account of patients’ needs. Patients could access routine treatment and urgent care when required.
- The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
- The provider asked patients for feedback about the services they provided. Results of these audits were analysed and displayed in the practice manual for patients to read.
- The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
- The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.