Billericay Dental Studio

We carried out this announced inspection on 23 January 2020 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 always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it caring?

• Is it responsive to people’s needs?

• 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 caring?

We found this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found this practice was providing responsive 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

Billericay Dental Studio is in Billericay, Essex and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

The practice is situated above a commercial business and is accessed via a flight of stairs. The practice informs all new patients wishing to register that they are not wheelchair accessible and signposts patients that cannot manage the stairs to other nearby practices. One dedicated car parking space for people with disabilities is available in the street opposite the practice, other car parking spaces are available in public car parks near the practice.

The dental team includes three dentists, one visiting implant specialist, two trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist, two receptionists and a practice manager/lead dental nurse. The practice has three treatment rooms, a fourth treatment room is in the process of development and is nearing completion.

The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Billericay Dental Studio is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 48 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two other patients.

During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, one trainee dental nurse, one receptionist 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 from 8.20am to 8pm, Tuesday to Friday from 8.20am to 5.45pm.

Our key findings were:

• Patients received their care and treatment from staff who were well supported and enjoyed their work.
• The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• 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 practice had staff recruitment procedures. Hepatitis B immunity was not in place for some staff. The practice took immediate action to complete risk assessments and obtain immunity records.
• The practice undertook domiciliary visits where appropriate. There were limited processes to oversee this.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs. Extended hours appointments were available on Monday evening until 8pm.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had information governance arrangements.

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

• Implement protocols for domiciliary visits taking into account the 2009 guidelines published by British Society for Disability and Oral Health in the document “Guidelines for the Delivery of a Domiciliary Oral Healthcare Service”.
• Improve the practice’s sharps procedures to ensure the practice is in compliance with the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.