Archived: Dentale Bristol

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 10 June 2016 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 this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations?

Are services effective?

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulation.

Background

Dentale Bristol is an implant training clinic based in Portishead. Patients who use the service are sometimes referred by their own dentist, and others self-refer. Given the nature of the treatments offered, nobody under the age of 18 is treated at the clinic.

The practice has four dental treatment rooms based on the ground floor and a separate decontamination room used for cleaning, sterilising and packing dental instruments. The ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users and patients with limited mobility.

The practice employs seven dentists, four of whom act as tutors to the training delegates, hygienist, three dental nurses, and a practice manager. However there was no registered manager at the practice. 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.

The practice is open Monday to Friday, 09:00am – 1.00pm and 2.00pm -5.00pm. It is closed at weekends. There are arrangements in place to ensure patients receive urgent dental assistance when the practice is closed. This is through an out-of-hours on call service provided by the practice.

We spoke with four patients during the inspection and asked about their experience of the services provided. Feedback from patients was positive about the care they received from the practice. They commented staff put them at ease, listened to their concerns and they had confidence in the dental services provided.

The inspection was carried out by a lead inspector and a dental specialist adviser.

Our key findings were:

• We found the practice ethos was to provide high quality patient centred implant treatment in a relaxed and friendly environment.

• Staff we spoke with were committed to providing a quality service to their patients. Dentists provided dental care in accordance with current professional guidelines.

• Patients could access treatment and urgent and emergency care when required.

• Staff had been trained to handle emergencies and appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment was readily available in accordance with current guidelines.

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained. Infection control procedures were robust and the practice followed published guidance.

• The practice had a processes in place for safeguarding adults living in vulnerable circumstances.

• There was a policy and procedure in place for recording adverse incidents and accidents and complaints. The practice reviewed and dealt with complaints according to their policy.

• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continuing professional development by the provider.

• Patients and relatives we spoke with gave a positive picture of a caring, professional and high quality service.

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

• Review their system of the secondary dispensing of medicines so that the system reflects current legislation for the dispensing of medicines.

• Review their system of staff recruitment to ensure training delegates providing direct patient care at the clinic supply the provider with all necessary documentation under Regulation 19, Schedule 3 of Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 prior to the commencement of their training.