Brookview Dental Clinic Limited

We carried out this announced inspection on 10 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

Brookview Dental Clinic Limited is in Leicester, a town in the East Midlands. It provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children. The service provides general dentistry.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There are some car parking spaces at the practice and free on road parking is also available within a short distance of the premises.

The dental team includes six dentists (including one foundation dentist), five dental nurses (including two trainee nurses), one dental hygienist, two receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms; one is located on the ground floor.

The practice is an approved training practice for dentists new to general practice. Two of the principal dentists are trainers.

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 Brookview Dental Clinic Ltd is one of the principal dentists.

On the day of inspection, we collected 35 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and some staff members.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, three dental nurses, the hygienist and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures, patient feedback and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 5.30pm and Tuesday from 9.30am to 6pm. The practice closes over lunch from 1.15pm to 2pm.

Our key findings were:

• 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 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. We viewed information regarding the practice’s ongoing campaigns to raise awareness of oral health amongst children, their families and carers. The practice was a finalist in the ‘Dental Check by One Practice of the Year’ (DCby1) award.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• An investment in staff training and development and a commitment to learning and continuous improvement was at the forefront in the practice. The practice had a dedicated practice manager and all staff spoke highly of the support they received from management.
• Audit activity was extensive and drove improvement.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided. We noted 100% of feedback from those who responded in CQC comment cards was extremely positive.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had information governance arrangements.

We identified an area of notable practice.

The provider was actively taking measures to address the issue of high decay rate in children in Leicester. This geographical area is recognised as having a higher rate of decay in comparison to the national average. The practice was a finalist in the ‘Dental Check by One Practice of the Year’ (DCby1) award. The dental check by one campaign was established by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) in partnership with the Chief Dental Officer for England to ensure all children see a dentist as their teeth come through, or by their first birthday. As a result of their campaigns, the practice saw a 13% increase in NHS patients joining the practice. Successful education of parents and carers had increased their knowledge that children should not wait until the ages of two or three to see a dentist. We were provided with patient feedback and other evidence which supported the positive outcomes from the practice’s campaigns.