Diamond Dental Care

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 27 February 2024 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 practice was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations.

The inspection was led by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector who was supported by a second CQC inspector and a specialist dental advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 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:

• The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and most life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises, however fire safety could be improved.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement. Improvements could be made to the quality assurance processes.
• Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

Diamond Dental Care is in Preston and provides NHS dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The practice is on the first floor which is accessed by stairs. Access is not available for people who use wheelchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with specific needs.

The dental team includes 2 dentists, 1 qualified dental nurse and 2 trainee dental nurses. The practice has 2 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 qualified dental nurse and 1 trainee dental nurse. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 4.30pm

Friday from 8.30am to 3.30pm

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

• Improve the practice's processes for the control and storage of substances hazardous to health identified by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, to ensure risk assessments are undertaken.
• Take action to implement any recommendations in the practice's fire safety risk assessment and ensure ongoing fire safety management is effective.
• Take action to ensure the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies and implement an effective system of checks of medical emergency equipment and medicines taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.
• Take action to ensure audits of record keeping are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. The practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, all audits have documented learning points, and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.