The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Archived: Littleton Road Dental Practice

311 Littleton Road, Salford, Lancashire, M7 3TA (0161) 708 9644

Provided and run by:
Dr Ritu Dhariwal

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

All Inspections

2 September 2019

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 2 September 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

Littleton Road Dental Practice is in Salford and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access via a portable ramp for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes a dentist, a dental nurse, a receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has two treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an individual who is a director of the company who is responsible for running the service. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection, we collected four CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with the dentist, the dental nurse, the 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 to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm

Our key findings were:

  • The practice appeared clean and tidy.
  • The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. On the day of inspection not all emergency equipment was available. These were ordered immediately and evidence was sent after the inspection to confirm.
  • The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. Improvements could be made to the process for managing the risks associated with fire.
  • The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • The provider had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
  • 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 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.
  • The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
  • The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

  • Take action to implement any recommendations in the practice's fire safety risk assessment and ensure ongoing fire safety management is effective.
  • Implement an effective system for identifying, disposing and replenishing of out-of-date stock.
  • Take action to ensure the suitability of the premises and ensure all areas are fit for the purpose for which they are being used. In particular the ground floor surgery.

9 March 2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 9 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

Littleton Road Dental Practice is a dental practice providing NHS and private treatment for both adults and children. The practice is based in a converted terraced property with on-street parking available. The practice is part of Smart Dental Care which has a number of practices in the North West of England and Northern Ireland. There are two dental treatment rooms located on the ground and the first floor, a decontamination room, reception area and staff room.

The practice employs one dentist, two dental nurses, one of whom mainly works on the reception, and a practice manager.

The practice’s opening hours are 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

The practice manager 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 treatment rooms would benefit from refurbishing but the practice was visibly clean and free from clutter.
  • An infection prevention and control policy was in place. We saw the sterilisation procedures followed recommended guidance.
  • Practice meetings were used for shared learning.
  • The practice had a safeguarding policy but not all staff were aware on how to escalate safeguarding issues for children and adults should the need arise.
  • Staff received annual medical emergency training. Some minor adjustments were necessary to the resuscitation kit to comply with Resuscitation Council UK guidelines.
  • Dental professionals provided treatment in accordance with current professional guidelines.
  • Patient feedback was regularly sought and reflected upon.
  • Patients could access urgent care when required.
  • Dental professionals were maintaining their continued professional development (CPD) in accordance with their professional registration.
  • There was a system to deal with complaints in an efficient and positive manner.

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

  • Review availability of staff training and equipment to manage medical emergencies giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK), and the General Dental Council (GDC) standards for the dental team.
  • Review the systems to assess, monitor and mitigate the various risks arising from undertaking of the regulated activities.
  • Review the storage of medicines requiring refrigeration to ensure they are stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance and the fridge temperature is monitored and recorded.
  • Review the staffs awareness of the safeguarding reporting process.
  • Review the current legionella risk assessment and implement the required actions including the monitoring and recording of water temperatures, giving due regard to the guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance.