Updated 4 July 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 11 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 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
Dentist@6 is in Coventry and provides private treatment to adults and children.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including spaces for blue badge holders, are available in the practice car park.
The dental team includes two dentists, two dental nurses, two dental hygienists, one receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has two 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 Dentist@6 is one of the principal dentists.
On the day of inspection, we collected 25 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two patients.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two 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, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8.45am to 5pm.
Thursday from 8.45am to 1pm.
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. The decontamination room had been designed to include colour coded work surfaces to signify the demarcation lines between clean and dirty areas.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. At the time of our inspection there was scope to strengthen the recording and monitoring of patient safety alerts. This was immediately rectified following our visit.
- The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Safeguarding contact details for protection agencies were displayed on a staff notice board. The safeguarding lead was trained to level three.
- The provider had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- The provider took over ownership of the practice in 2014 and renovated the premises in 2015-16 to move all services onto the ground floor to enhance accessibility for all patients including those with disabilities.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- Staff were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
- The appointment system took account of patients’ needs. Patients could access treatment and urgent and emergency care when required.
- The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided. Details of the patient satisfaction survey results were displayed in the waiting room. The results were consistently positive from patient satisfaction surveys and online feedback.
- The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
- The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.