Ballard and Tucker Limited

Updated 1 June 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

We undertook an announced focused inspection of Ballard and Tucker Ltd on 6 April 2017. This inspection was carried out to check that improvements to meet legal requirements planned by the practice after our comprehensive inspection on 17 May 2016 had been made. We inspected the practice against one of the five questions we ask about services: is the service well-led. This is because the service was not meeting some legal requirements.

The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was accompanied by a dental specialist advisor.

Updated 1 June 2017

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this practice on 17 May 2016. Breaches of legal requirements were found. After the comprehensive inspection, the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Ballard And Tucker Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Our findings were:

Are services well-led?

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

Background

Ballard and Tucker Limited is a dental practice providing general dental treatment and some specialist dental treatment in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Treatment is provided on the NHS, but is mostly paid for privately.

The practice is located over two floors of a purpose built building. The main reception is situated downstairs along with three treatment rooms. The other two treatment rooms are situated upstairs. Access to the upstairs area is via an external door and could not be made through the building.

The practice is open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday.

Access for urgent treatment outside normal opening hours is by following the instruction displayed on the door, and explained on the answerphone, or by telephoning the NHS 111 service.

The principal dentist is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. 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.

Our key findings were:

• Improvements were seen in all areas where concerns had been highlighted in the comprehensive inspection.

• Clinical audit was used effectively to highlight areas where improvements could be made.
• Medicines and equipment to treat medical emergencies were in line with national guidance and kept together.
• Pre-employment checks were carried out in line with regulation.

• Appropriate documentation pertaining to substances hazardous to health was kept in the practice.

• Policies to aid the smooth running of the service had been updated and signed by staff since our last visit to the practice.