Updated 1 August 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 28 June 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
Beaconsfield Dental Practice is in Ashford and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
The practice is situated on the first floor of a shared building, there is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs and a lift to the first floor. Car parking spaces, including some for blue badge holders, are available on the practice premises.
The dental team includes three dentists, four dental nurses, and one receptionist. The practice has three treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. 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 eight CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with three other patients.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, one dental nurse, and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday and Tuesday 9am to 6pm.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5pm.
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 except oxygen masks for children.
- The practice 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. However, we noted that there was no guidance information in relation to modern day slavery or female genital mutilation.
- 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 were providing 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 although some auditing was not frequent and another audit had not been completed.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the security of NHS prescription pads in the practice and ensure there are systems in place to track and monitor their use.
- Review the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council, in particular clear masks for children.
- Review the availability of an automated external defibrillator, (AED), in the practice to manage medical emergencies, taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council, and undertake a risk assessment for the shared use of the defibrillator.
- Review the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities under the Act as it relates to their role.
- Review the practice’s protocols to ensure audits of radiography and infection prevention and control are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. Practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.
- Create guidance material for staff to refer to in relation to modern day slavery and female genital mutilation (FGM)