The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street

28 Rodney Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 2TQ (0151) 709 5300

Provided and run by:
Dr. Simon Lewis

All Inspections

25 February 2020

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 25 February 2020 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 Care Quality Commission, (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 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 regulations.

Background

Dr Simon Lewis – Rodney Street is located in Liverpool city centre and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is no level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available on the road outside the practice, on a pay and display basis were waiting time is limited. Other pay and display car parks are available in the city centre.

The dental team includes one dentist and two dental nurses, one of whom also has responsibility for managing the day to day running of the practice. The practice has one treatment room.

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 four CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist and the senior dental nurse. We also spoke with the former practice manager, who had recently retired and was supporting the senior dental nurse, who has recently taken on responsibility for the day to day running of the practice. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open on Tuesday from 11.30 to 3.30pm; Wednesday and Thursday from 9.15am to 3pm.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
  • The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies.
  • Some items were missing from the emergency medical equipment. These were ordered on the day of our inspection.
  • The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
  • The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
  • 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 supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
  • The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked 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 information governance arrangements.

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

  • Take action to ensure the availability of equipment and medicines in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) for equipment and the General Dental Council and the British National Formulary and General Dental Council in relation to medical oxygen and the quanitity to be available.
  • Improve the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure accurate, complete and detailed records are maintained for all staff.
  • Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice when completing dental care records.
  • Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice.

15/02/2018

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out a follow up inspection on 15 February 2018 at Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street.

On 22 August 2017 we undertook an announced comprehensive inspection of this service as part of our regulatory functions. During this inspection we found a breach of the legal requirements. After the inspection, we wrote to the provider requesting an action plan outlining what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach. The provider did not submit an action plan.

We undertook a follow-up inspection at Dr Simon Lewis – Rodney Street on 29 November 2017 to check whether they met the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. We carried out this announced inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. During the inspection we found breaches of the legal requirements. After the inspection, we wrote to the provider requesting an action plan outlining what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches. The provider did not submit an action plan.

We undertook a further follow-up inspection at Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street on 15 February 2018 to check whether they met the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Copies of the reports from our comprehensive inspection and follow-up inspection can be found by selecting the 'all reports' link for Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We reviewed the practice against one of the five questions we ask about services: is the service well-led?

The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a CQC inspection manager.

Our findings were:

Are services well-led ?

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

Background

Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street is close to the centre of Liverpool and provides dental care and treatment to adults and children on a privately funded basis.

There are steps at the front entrance to the practice. The practice has one treatment room. Car parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes a dentist and a dental nurse. The team is supported by a practice manager, who is also a dental nurse.

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.

The practice is open:

Tuesday 11.00am to 4.00pm

Wednesday 9.00am to 4.00pm

Thursday 9.00am to 3.30pm.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice was clean and well maintained.
  • The practice had improved their infection control procedures to reflect published guidance.
  • The provider had systems in place to help them manage risk, and had put in place measures to further reduce identified risks.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
  • The practice asked staff for feedback about the services they provided.

29/11/2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out a follow up focused inspection on 29 November 2017 at Dr Simon Lewis – Rodney Street.

On 22 August 2017 we undertook an announced comprehensive inspection of this service as part of our regulatory functions. During this inspection we found a breach of the legal requirements.

A copy of the report from our comprehensive inspection can be found by selecting the 'all reports' link for Dr Simon Lewis – Rodney Street on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

After the comprehensive inspection, the practice did not send us the requested action plan to say what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach.

This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

We revisited Dr Simon Lewis – Rodney Street on 29 November 2017 to check whether they met the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. We carried out this announced inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions.

We reviewed the practice against one of the five questions we ask about services: is the service well-led?

The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a second CQC inspector.

Our findings were:

Are services well-led ?

We found that this practice was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street is close to the centre of Liverpool and provides dental care and treatment to adults and children on a privately funded basis.

There are steps at the front entrance to the practice. The practice has one treatment room. Car parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes one dentist and a dental nurse. The team is supported by a practice manager, who is also a dental nurse.

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.

The practice is open:

Tuesday 11.00am to 4.00pm

Wednesday 9.00am to 4.00pm

Thursday 9.00am to 3.30pm.

Our key findings were:

  • Appropriate medical emergency medicines and equipment were now available.
  • The practice now received patient safety alerts and acted on these. Staff had not reviewed relevant historic alerts.
  • Arrangements had been put in place for staff to raise concerns where necessary. These did not include details of external organisations staff could contact.
  • The practice had infection control procedures in place but these did not always reflect published guidance.
  • Staff had improved some aspects of risk management. Not all risk management processes were operating effectively, for example, no Legionella risk assessment had been carried out.
  • The practice had a leadership structure and governance arrangements in place. The practice had not considered how good governance would be maintained in the long term.
  • There were limited means for asking staff for feedback about the services they provided. Staff did not always receive adequate support for their roles.

We identified regulations the provider was not meeting. They must:

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
  • Send CQC a written report setting out what plans are in place to make improvements.

Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

  • Review the practice’s arrangements for reviewing relevant historic patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and through the Central Alerting System, as well as from other relevant bodies such as, Public Health England.
  • Review the practice’s arrangements for ensuring good governance and leadership are sustained in the longer term.

22/08/2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 22 August 2017 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.

We told the NHS England Cheshire and Merseyside area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. We did not receive any information of concern from them.

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 not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Dr Simon Lewis - Rodney Street is close to the centre of Liverpool and provides dental care and treatment to adults and children on a privately funded basis.

There are steps at the front entrance to the practice. The practice has one treatment room. Car parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes one dentist and a dental nurse. The team is supported by a practice manager, who is also a dental nurse.

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.

We received feedback from ten people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was positive about the practice.

During the inspection we spoke to the dentist, the dental nurse and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Tuesday 11.00am to 4.00pm

Wednesday 9.00am to 4.00pm

Thursday 9.00am to 3.30pm.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice was clean and well maintained.
  • The practice had safeguarding processes in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
  • Staff provided care and treatment focused on patients’ individual needs.
  • The practice had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints.
  • Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
  • The appointment system took patients’ needs into account. Dedicated emergency appointments were available.
  • The practice had a leadership structure. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
  • The practice asked patients and staff for feedback about the services they provided.
  • The practice had infection control procedures in place but this did not fully reflect published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Some emergency equipment and one emergency medicine were not available.
  • The practice had systems in place to help them manage risk, but no Legionella risk assessment had been carried out and not all reasonable measures were in place to minimise risk of injury from sharp instruments.

We identified a regulation the provider was not meeting. They must:

  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

24 October 2012

During a routine inspection

On the day of our inspection we spoke with three patients, all of whom had been patients at the practice for many years. People were very positive about the care and treatment they had received at the practice and comments included:

'I wouldn't go anywhere else'.

The staff always 'put you at ease'.

We saw that the treatment room, waiting area and other communal areas were clean and tidy. There were arrangements in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies and all staff had been provided with emergency resuscitation training. However, improvements were needed to ensure that people who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse.