Pennypot Dental New Romney

Updated 28 September 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The inspection was carried out on 19 May 2016 by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector and a dental specialist advisor. Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the provider and information that we asked them to send us in advance of the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with members of the practice team, including the provider, a dentist, two dental nurses and two receptionists. To assess the quality of care provided we looked around the premises including the decontamination room and treatment rooms. In addition, we viewed a range of policies and procedures and other documents and read the comments made by eight patients in comment cards provided by CQC before the inspection.

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 therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 28 September 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 19 May 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Pennypot Dental Practice New Romney is in Littlestone, in Romney Marsh, Kent. The premises is a modern purpose built building. There are four treatment rooms, a private waiting area, a waiting lounge and a toilet for patients' use.

The practice team consisted of two dentists, one hygienist and two dental nurses. The clinical team are supported by two reception staff and a practice manager.

The provider is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons 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 practice is open from 8am to 5pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 8am to 7pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Saturdays 8am to 1pm.

The practice provides NHS and private dental services for both adults and children.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comment cards to the practice for patients to use to tell us about their experience of the practice. We collected eight completed cards and obtained the views of a further two patients on the day of the inspection.

The inspection was carried out by a lead inspector and a dental specialist adviser.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was visibly clean and a number of patients mentioned that the practice was always clean and hygienic. The practice had systems to assess and manage infection prevention and control.

• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.

• There was a process in place for the reporting and shared learning when incidents occurred in the practice.

• The practice had clear processes for dealing with medical emergencies and for ensuring that appropriate dental equipment was available and regularly maintained.

• Dental care records provided clear and detailed information about patients’ care and treatment.
• Staff received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continued professional development.
• Patients were able to make routine and emergency appointments when needed.

• Patients received a responsive service and staff treated them in a thoughtful, respectful and professional way.

• The practice had governance processes to manage the practice effectively.

There was an area where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the availability of a hearing loop for patients who are hearing aid users.