Archived: Chestfield Dental Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 8 March 2017 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

Background

Chestfield Dental Practice is a dental practice providing mostly private dental treatment, with a small NHS provision for treatment options for patients. The practice is located in Chestfield in Whitstable, Kent. There is roadside parking in the area.

The practice has two treatment rooms, both of which are on the ground floor.

The practice provides dental services to both adults and children. The practice provides mostly NHS treatment (85%). Services provided include general dentistry, dental hygiene, crowns and bridges, and root canal treatment. Patients also have the option of private treatment options such as cosmetic dentistry.

The practice’s opening hours are – Monday, Tuesday: and Friday 9am to 5.30pm and Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 7pm.

Access for urgent treatment outside of opening hours is by telephoning the practice and following the instructions on the answerphone message or by telephoning the local dental out of hour’s service or the NHS 111 service.

The principal dentist/owner 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.

The practice has three dentists; two qualified dental nurses, two trainee dental nurses and a practice manager who is registered as a dental nurse with the General Dental Council.

We provided CQC comment cards prior to our inspection for patients to share their experiences with us. We collected 38 completed comment cards and all of the responses were positive We also reviewed feedback that practice had received through the NHS Friends and family test (FFT).

Our key findings were:

• The practice was visibly clean and tidy.

• Records showed there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.

• Patients at the practice gave positive feedback about their experiences at the practice.

• The practice was well equipped.

• Dentists identified the different treatment options, and discussed these with patients.

• Patients’ confidentiality was maintained.

• The practice followed the relevant guidance from the Department of Health's: ‘Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05) for infection control with regard to cleaning and sterilising dental instruments. Some improvements were however required in the monitoring processes as theses had not been conducted on a regular basis.

• The practice had the necessary equipment for staff to deal with medical emergencies, and staff had been trained how to use that equipment. This included an automated external defibrillator, oxygen and emergency medicines.

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

• Review the current arrangements for appropriate governance for the safe running of the service by establishing systems to identify and minimise any potential or perceived risks.

• Review the practice’s system for the recording, investigating and reviewing incidents or significant events with a view to preventing further occurrences and, ensuring that improvements are made as a result.
• Review the current legionella risk assessment and implement the required actions including the monitoring and recording of water temperatures and dip slide results to evidence that dental water line disinfection has been successful.
• Review the records related to the management of regulated activities giving due regard to current legislation and guidance.
• Review auditing of clinical and non-clinical areas giving due regard to current guidance.