Codsall Dental Practice

We carried out this announced inspection on 22 October 2019 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

Codsall Dental Practice is in Codsall, Wolverhampton and provides 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 are available in the car park across the road from the practice. There is a dedicated parking bay directly outside the practice for people with disabilities.

The dental team includes two dentists, one dental nurse, one dental hygienists, one receptionist, one practice manager who is also a qualified dental nurse, the area business manager and the company director. The practice has two treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company 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 Codsall Dental Practice is the company director.

On the day of inspection, we collected 11 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with three patients.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, one dental nurse, one receptionist, the area business manager and the company director. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Our key findings were:

• Strong and effective leadership was provided by the area business manager, company director and senior dentist. Staff told us they felt valued by all team members and enjoyed working at the practice.
• 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 and had completed basic life support training several times throughout the year. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. A health and safety audit had been completed October 2019 to identify any risks and drive improvement.
• The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• 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. They routinely referred patients to their dental hygienist through a clear care pathway.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• 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:

• Review the practice's policy for the control and storage of substances hazardous to health identified by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, to ensure risk assessments are undertaken for all products.