Bispham Dental Practice

Updated 15 March 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The inspection took place on the 2 February 2017 and was led by a CQC Inspector accompanied by a dental specialist adviser.

Prior to the inspection we asked the practice to send us some information which we reviewed. This included details of complaints they had received in the last 12 months, their latest statement of purpose, and staff details, including their qualifications and professional body registration number where appropriate. We also reviewed information we held about the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, the dental hygienist, one dental nurse, two receptionists and the practice manager. We toured the practice and reviewed emergency medicines and equipment. We reviewed policies, protocols and other documents and observed procedures. We also reviewed 42 CQC comment cards which we had sent prior to the inspection for patients to complete about the services provided at the practice.

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 therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 15 March 2017

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 02 February 2017 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Bispham Dental Practice provides private dental treatment to patients of all ages and also has a small NHS contract. The services include preventative advice and treatment and routine restorative dental care. Intravenous sedation is also offered to very nervous patients.

The staff consists of three dentists, a dental hygienist, two qualified dental nurses, one trainee dental nurse, three receptionists and a practice manager who also works as a dental nurse.

The practice is in Bispham, the north of Blackpool and is based in a converted building and is undergoing refurbishment. The reception area for patients has been completely refurbished and the next step of the plan is to refurbish the dental surgeries. The practice has five surgeries; two of these are on the ground floor, a decontamination room, a waiting room and a reception area. Access to the building is not restricted.

The opening hours are Monday –Thursday 9.00am – 5.00pm and Friday 9:00am – 4.00pm.

One of the principle dentists is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

Our key findings were:

• The premises were visibly clean and tidy.
• The practice had procedures in place to record and analyse significant events and incidents.
• Staff had received safeguarding training, and knew the process to follow to raise concerns.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies, and emergency medicines and equipment were available.
• Patients’ needs were assessed, and care and treatment were delivered, in accordance with current legislation, standards, and guidance.
• Patients received information about their care, proposed treatment, costs, benefits, and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• Staff were supported to deliver effective care, and opportunities for training and learning were available.
• Patients were treated with kindness, dignity, and respect.
• The appointment system met the needs of patients, and emergency appointments were available.
• Services were planned and delivered to meet the needs of patients, and reasonable adjustments were made to enable patients to receive their care and treatment.
• The practice gathered the views of patients and took their views into account.
• Staff were supervised, felt involved, and worked as a team.
• Governance arrangements were in place for the smooth running of the practice, and for the delivery of high quality person centred care.