Updated 3 October 2017
We carried out this announced inspection on 7 September 2017 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.
We told the NHS England area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. They did not provide any information of concern.
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
Precious Dental Care is in Leeds and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
There is access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs by the use of a portable ramp. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.
The dental team includes five dentists, four dental nurses (two of whom are trainees), one dental hygiene therapist and a practice manager (who is also a qualified dental nurse). The practice has three treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a partnership 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 manager at Precious Dental Care was the practice owner.
On the day of inspection we collected 12 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, three dental nurses, the dental hygiene therapist 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 to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm
Our key findings were:
- The practice was clean and well maintained.
- The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- 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 had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- The practice had staff recruitment procedures. Minor adjustments could be made to the recruitment process.
- 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.
- The appointment system met patients’ needs.
- The practice had effective leadership. 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 dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:
- Review the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are obtained at the point of employment.
- Review the storage of medicines requiring refrigeration to ensure they are stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.
- Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance.
- Review the practice audit protocols to document learning points that are shared with all relevant staff and ensure that the resulting improvements can be demonstrated as part of the audit process.