Archived: Brandling Park Dental Practice

Updated 22 July 2019

We carried out this announced inspection on 2 July 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

Brandling Park Dental Practice is in Newcastle Upon Tyne and provides private treatment to adults and children.

The practice occupies the ground floor of a building. There are steps at the front entrance, with hand rails to aid people who need support and a portable ramp for people who use wheelchairs or those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available near the practice; these are restricted to permit-holders. The provider has parking permits for patients to use for the duration of their treatment.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, a visiting implantologist, three dental nurses, one dental hygienist and one dental therapist. The dental therapist oversees the practice management and governance systems. The practice has two treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a partnership between the principal dentist and dental therapist and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers 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 registered manager at Brandling Park Dental Practice is the principal dentist.

On the day of inspection, we collected 20 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. These provided a positive view of the care provided by the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, three dental nurses and the dental therapist / practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday 8.30am-7.00pm

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8.30am-5.00pm

Thursday 8.30am-1.30pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• 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 appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• 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:

• Review the practice's policy 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 for all hazardous substances in the practice.
• Review the practice’s protocols for ensuring that all clinical staff have adequate immunity for vaccine preventable infectious diseases.
• Review the practice’s arrangements for receiving and responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Central Alerting System and other relevant bodies, such as Public Health England.
• Review the practice’s systems for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the undertaking of the regulated activities. In particular, risk assess the need for the dental hygienist to work without chairside support.