Ampthill Dental Practice, Miss K Saxby and Associates

Updated 26 April 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 practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

We carried out an announced, comprehensive inspection on 14 March 2017. The inspection team consisted of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector and a dental specialist advisor.

Before the inspection we asked the provider for information to be sent this included the complaints the practice had received in the last 12 months; their latest statement of purpose; the details of the staff members, their qualifications and proof of registration with their professional bodies. We spoke with members of staff and patients during the inspection.

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 26 April 2017

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 14 March 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

Miss K Saxby & Associates - Ampthill Dental Surgery is a general dental practice close to the centre of the town of Ampthill in Bedfordshire.

The practice has four treatment rooms and offers general dental treatment to adults and children funded by the NHS or privately.

The practice now has one principal dentist, five associate dentists and two dental hygienists supported by six qualified dental nurses and 2 receptionists.

The practice is open from 8.30 am to 5 pm on Monday to Friday.

The practice is fully accessible to wheelchair users. The treatment rooms are on the ground floor, and although there are steps from the car park to the rear entrance of the building, there is a temporary ramp available to improve access through the front door.

The practice owner is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. 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.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comment cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience. We received feedback from 50 patients. These provided a positive view of the services the practice provides. Patients commented on the quality of care, the polite and friendly nature of staff and the cleanliness of the practice.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was visibly clean and clutter free.

• Comments from patients indicated that the staff were kind and caring and were skilled at putting nervous patients at ease.

• The practice met the standards set out in national guidance regarding infection control.

• A routine appointment could be secured privately within a week and a waiting list was available for patients wanting to register for treatment on the NHS.

• Emergency appointments were available daily, and the practice offered a sit and wait service every morning for patients with urgent need.

• The practice had policies in place to assist in the smooth running of the service.

• The practice had medicines and equipment to treat medical emergencies.

• Dentists at the practice used national guidance and standards in the care and treatment of patients.

• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties, and equipment was well maintained.

• Governance arrangements were in place for the smooth running of the service.

• Appropriate pre-employment checks were being carried out to ensure the service employed fit and proper persons.

• The clinicians were using rubber dam when completing root canal treatment.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the practice’s protocols for recording in the patients’ dental care records or elsewhere the reason for taking the X-ray and quality of the X-ray giving due regard to the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) 2000.
• Review the practice's protocols for completion of dental records giving due regard to guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping.