The Priory Dental Centre

We carried out this announced inspection on 23 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 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

The Priory Dental Practice is a well-established practice that offers mostly NHS treatment to approximately 7,000 patients. It is based near Royston town centre. The dental team includes six dentists, five dental nurses, a hygienist, reception staff and a regional manager.

There is ramp access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There is on street parking directly outside the practice, and in nearby public car parks.

The practice opens Monday to Friday from 8.45 am to 5pm, and weekends by arrangement.

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 is the company’s regional manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 60 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two other patients. We spoke with one of the directors, the regional manager, three dentists, two dental nurses, and reception staff. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

Our key findings were:

• Patients were positive about all aspects of the service the practice provided and commented positively of the treatment they received, and of the staff who delivered it.
• Premises and equipment were clean and properly maintained and the practice followed national guidance for cleaning, sterilising and storing dental instruments.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• Recruitment procedures were thorough and ensured only suitable people were employed.
• Patients’ care and treatment was provided in line with current guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The practice took complaints and concerns seriously and responded to them appropriately to improve the quality of care.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported and valued. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.

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

• Review the practice’s sharps procedures and ensure the practice is in compliance with the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.

• Review the availability of an interpreter service for patients who do not speak or understand English.