Leeds Road Dental Practice

We carried out this announced focussed inspection on 20 September 2021 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 asked the following three questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• 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 well-led?

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

Background

Leeds Road Dental Practice is near Bradford city centre and provides private dental treatment for adults and NHS dental treatment for children.

Disabled access is available to the building via a ramp and treatment rooms are based on the ground floor and first floor. Car parking is available near the practice and local transport links are nearby.

The dental team includes three dentists, six dental nurses, three receptionists and a practice manager.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC 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 Leeds Road Dental Practice is the principal dentist.

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

The practice is open:

Monday 9.30am - 5.30pm

Tuesday 8am - 3pm

Wednesday 8am - 4pm

Thursday 8.30am - 5.30pm

Friday 8am - 1pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• The provider had implemented standard operating procedures in line with national guidance on COVID-19.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available, we noted the medical oxygen cylinder was out of date and did not have sufficient amounts to respond to a medical emergency, the midazolam and airways were omitted from the emergency kit.
• 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 provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• The provider had information governance arrangements.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. 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.

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

• Review recommendations in the practice's Legionella risk assessment. In particular the recording of the temperatures to demonstrate the water temperatures to ensure they were below 20 degrees centigrade for the cold water or above 55 degrees centigrade for the hot water.)