The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Holt House Dental Practice

Holt Lane, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3LY (01629) 339610

Provided and run by:
Dental Partners (DISA) Limited

All Inspections

2 November 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We undertook a follow up focused inspection of Holt House Dental Practice on 2 November 2022. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.

The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

We undertook a focused inspection of Holt House Dental Practice on 7 July 2022 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing safe or well led care and was in breach of regulations 12, 17 and 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Holt House Dental Practice dental practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.

When one or more of the 5 questions are not met, we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was required.

As part of this inspection we asked:

• Is it safe?

• Is it well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found this practice was providing safe 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

The provider has 3 practices and this report is about Holt House Dental Practice.

Holt House Dental Practice is in Matlock in Derbyshire and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes 3 dentists, 2 dental nurses including 1 trainee dental nurse, a dental hygiene therapist, 2 receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has 4 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dental nurse 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 to Friday from 8am to 5pm

7 July 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this unannounced focused inspection on 7 July 2022 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 practice 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 usually ask five key questions, however due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce time spent on site, only the following three questions were asked:

• 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:

  • The dental clinic was visibly clean and well-maintained.
  • Improvements were needed to infection control procedures to ensure they reflected published guidance.
  • Staff training for medical emergencies was overdue. Checks of emergency equipment could be improved.
  • The practice’s systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff were ineffective.
  • Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • Staff recruitment procedures did not reflect 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 appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
  • Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • The dental clinic had information governance arrangements.

Background

The provider has four practices and this report is about Holt House Dental Practice.

Holt House Dental Practice is in Matlock in Derbyshire and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes three dentists, five dental nurses including two trainee dental nurses, a receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, four 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 to Friday from 8:15am to 4:45pm

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. 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.

  • Ensure recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed.

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. They should:

  • Improve the security of NHS prescription pads in the practice and ensure there are systems in place to track and monitor their use.

  • Review the practice protocols regarding audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.

9 July 2015

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 9 July 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 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.

Holt House Dental practice is located close to the centre of Matlock near the railway station. There are good public transport links and car parking at the railway station.

The practice treats both private and NHS patients, with the majority (approximately 90%) being NHS. Most patients live in Matlock or the surrounding area. The practice treats patients from the whole range of ages from children to the elderly.

The practice has three dentists plus one foundation year dentist. ‘The practice is a training practice for the Dental Foundation Training (DFT) scheme. DFT provides postgraduate dental education for newly qualified dentists in their first (foundation) year of practice; usually within general dental practices. One of the principal dentists is a trainer for the DFT scheme and provides clinical and educational supervision. The practice currently has one dentist who is in their first (foundation) year of practice. In addition, the practice has one hygienist/therapist and four dental nurses plus one trainee. There was one receptionist and a practice manager.

The practice opening hours were: Monday to Thursday: 08:15 am to 5:00 pm and Friday 08:15 am to 4:00 pm.

One of the partners is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

We viewed 18 CQC comment cards that had been completed by patients, about the services provided. All 18 comment cards had positive comments about the staff and the services provided. In addition, we spoke with three patients who all provided positive feedback about the practice and the dental treatment they had received. Comments particularly focussed on the caring nature of the staff, and how well the practice met patients’ needs.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice recorded and analysed significant events and complaints and shared learning with staff.
  • Staff had received safeguarding and whistle blowing training and knew the procedures to follow to raise any concerns.
  • There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
  • Staff had been trained to handle emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were readily available.
  • Infection control procedures were in place and the practice followed the related guidance.
  • Patient’s care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with evidence based guidelines, good practice and current legislation.
  • Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, options and risks and were involved in making decisions.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect and confidentiality was maintained.
  • The appointment system met the needs of patients and waiting times were kept to a minimum.
  • The practice was well-led and staff worked as a team.
  • Governance systems were effective and there was a range of clinical and non-clinical audits to monitor the quality of services.
  • The practice sought feedback from staff and patients about the services they provided

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

  • Review the arrangements for air flow in the decontamination room

12 February 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with five people who had received treatment during our visit. This enabled us to gather their thoughts on both the treatment they had received and the dental practice in general. We were told that the dentist had obtained their consent before any treatment had been performed and they all told us that overall, they were satisfied with how they had been looked after. One person explained: 'They are absolutely brilliant; they explain things and put you at ease.' Another told us: I needed an emergency appointment, I phoned in the morning but couldn't get an appointment until that afternoon, that's the only time I've had an issue. I don't think they can do any more for me.'

There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. We reviewed the infection prevention and decontamination policies and found them to be up to date and comprehensive with responsibilities clearly defined.

People told us that they found the practice and treatment rooms to be clean and tidy and confirmed that the dentist and the dental nurses wore protective clothing when providing treatment. One person told us: 'They always wear gloves and masks and they give you glasses to wear.'