We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 1 September 2015 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 not 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.
Queen Street Dental Practice provides NHS dental treatment and care for patients in and around the Great Harwood area of Blackburn. The practice has one full time dentist and three dental nurses who also cover reception. In the 12 months leading to this inspection the practice had treated 2700 patients.
Mr Andrew Cuyes is the sole dentist at this practice and is the registered person. The dentist is supported by three registered dental nurses who also share reception duties. 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.
The practice is situated on the high street in a converted commercial property. There is a reception and waiting area, a treatment room and a dedicated decontamination room on the ground floor and a toilet and staff room/kitchen on the first floor. The practice is generally open from 9.00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday.
Seven patients provided feedback about the service. The feedback from patients was overwhelmingly positive about the treatment and care they received at the practice. Patients were complementary about the staff and told us they were respectful, compassionate and kind.
Our key findings were:
- There were safeguarding processes in place and staff understood their responsibilities to protect patients from harm.
- There were maintenance contracts in place to ensure all equipment had been serviced regularly, including, autoclave, fire extinguishers, the suction compressor, oxygen cylinder and X-ray equipment.
- Patients were provided with information and guidance relating to good oral health.
- Staff were supported to maintain their continuing professional development (CPD) and had undertaken training appropriate to their roles.
- The patients we spoke with and all comment cards we reviewed indicated staff were respectful and treated patients with kindness.
- Patients told us they had good access to the practice with emergency appointments available the same day.
We identified regulations that were not being met and the provider must:
- Ensure there are robust procedures in place for assessing the risk of, and preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of, infections in accordance with the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM01-05) guidance.
- Ensure there are protocols in place to protect patient safety during root canal treatments where a rubber dam is not used.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:
- Provide patients with a written treatment plan that includes the proposed treatment and the estimated cost. The plan should be provided before treatment begins and a copy should be retained in their dental care records. You should also ask patients to sign the treatment plan.
- Review the practice’s selection criteria for dental radiography for patients with high risk of periodontal disease giving due regard to the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) 2000 and the Faculty of General Dental Practice – good practice guidelines.
- Where verbal consent to treatment is given a clear record of the conversation should be written in the patients’ dental care records.
- The results of extra oral examinations should be recorded in dental care records.