Updated 8 September 2023
We conducted this announced comprehensive inspection on 29 August 2023 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 advisor.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 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:
- The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
- Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
- The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
- Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
- Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
- There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Auditing was used effectively by staff to drive improvement.
- Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
- Patient feedback systems were limited, and a full survey had not been undertaken since 2019.
Background
The practice is in Norwich city and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children. The premises are not suitable for wheelchair users as there are no ground floor surgeries or an accessible toilet.
The dental team includes 2 dentists, 3 dental nurses, 2 dental hygienists, and 2 receptionists. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, 2 nurses and reception staff. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.
The practice is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8am to 5pm; on Thursdays from 1pm to 7pm, and on Fridays from 8am to 2pm.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Re-introduce systems for seeking and learning from patient feedback with a view to monitoring and improving the quality of the service.