The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Archived: Vital Dental Service

11 Castle Street, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 8BA (01566) 777337

Provided and run by:
Dental Dimensions Limited

All Inspections

30 August 2018

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced inspection on 30 August 2018 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 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 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

Vital Dental Service is in Launceston and provides NHS treatment to adults and children.

The premises are a converted grade 2 listed residential building, which means there are restrictions on alterations that can be made to it. Although there are ground floor treatment rooms, access and facilities for wheelchair users and/or parents with pushchairs is restricted. Car parking spaces, are available near the practice in public car parks.

The dental team includes two dentists, a dental hygiene therapist, a team of dental nurses/trainee dental nurses, decontamination room operative, receptionists, treatment coordinators and a practice management team. There are four treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 managers at Vital Dental Service are the principal dentist and the practice manager, who share the role.

On the day of inspection we collected 16 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two other patients. This gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with all staff on duty. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm (closed for lunch 12:30pm – 1.30pm).

Our key findings were:

  • The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
  • Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
  • The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
  • The practice staff had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
  • The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
  • The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Staff treated patients with dignity and respect.
  • The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system met patients’ needs.
  • The practice had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
  • Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
  • The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
  • The practice staff dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
  • Information governance processes for the use of CCTV in and at the premises were under review.

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

  • Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance.’ In particular regarding the availability of a hot water for hand washing purposes and tears to the fabric of two dental chairs.
  • Review the practice’s protocols for audit cycles specifically with the view to include patient record cards and antimicrobial prescribing.


31 July 2013

During a routine inspection

We phoned to give three days notice of our visit. During our visit we made a tour of the premises and met with the registered managers, the regular dentist for the service and three other staff on duty. We contacted six people who used the service either by phone, email or we met with them in the waiting room.

People told us that there were 'very nice staff. I only have to ask if I need anything.' Two people said they were nervous patients but felt well looked after here. 'The dentist told me what he was doing,' one person said, 'I felt completely at rest.'

Some people told us they found the waiting room small, so people could not avoid hearing what they said to the receptionist and they felt a large discrepancy between the NHS waiting room and the one provided for a private service within the same building. However, one person said they found the small size of the waiting room a positive aspect, as it meant that people talked to each other.

One person praised the service for its awareness of people with dementia and their needs, and found their care of an elderly relative to be very good. We found that the practice had systems in place to protect vulnerable people and staff knew how and when to obtain support for people.

We found there were good and reliable systems in place to maintain a safe and hygienic service.

We found that there was a suitable complaints system and that the practice manager had responded promptly to any issues raised.

16 February 2012

During a routine inspection

During this visit we met with six people during or after their treatment. They said the reception staff were polite, and they had been pleased to get appointments quickly. We saw that no-one had long to wait. The children we met were quite happy about coming to the dentist. One person told us how they had been taken ill at a previous visit, and had been well cared-for by staff.

The service was set in a listed building with steps to the front door. There were two treatment rooms on the ground floor, plus the treatment planning room, reception desk and waiting area. The bathroom was upstairs.

One person said they did not mind the small waiting room and hard bench because they had not come to sit and read. Another said, the 'seats are rather hard ' just perching'.