Southam Dental

We carried out this announced inspection on 29 May 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 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

Southam Dental is in Southam a small market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire and provides predominantly private treatment with a small NHS provision to adults and children.

There is ramped access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs through a side entrance into the building. Car parking spaces, including several for blue badge holders, are available in the free car park near the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists, one dental nurse, two trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist, one receptionist and the practice manager who is also a qualified dental nurse. The practice has three 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 manager at Southam Dental is the principal dentist.

On the day of inspection, we collected 15 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, one dental nurse, one dental hygienist, one receptionist 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 Thursday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

One Saturday a month by appointment from 9.15am to 12.30pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared 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 practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. The compressor servicing was last completed in January 2018 and had lapsed. We were advised that it had been scheduled for completion on 11 June 2019.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Safeguarding contact details and flow charts were displayed in the staff room.
• The provider 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 and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs. Patients could access treatment and urgent care when required. The practice offered extended hours appointments opening early Monday to Friday from 8.30am. Saturday appointments were also available once a month for patients preferring not to attend during the week.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement. In-house training in basic life support, two external training days per year and online core training were provided by the principal dentist.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the practice's systems for checking and monitoring premises maintenance taking into account relevant guidance and ensure that all services are well maintained. In particular ensuring that the compressor is serviced within relevant timeframes.