Updated 28 August 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 1 August 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
Stewart House Orthodontics is in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and provides NHS and private orthodontic treatment to children and adults. Orthodontics is a specialist dental service concerned with the alignment of the teeth and jaws to improve the appearance of the face, the teeth and their function. Orthodontic treatment is provided under NHS referral for children except when the problem falls below the accepted eligibility criteria for NHS treatment. Private treatment is available for these patients as well as adults who require orthodontic treatment.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available in the street outside the practice and in local pay and display public car parks.
The dental team includes one specialist / orthodontist, one dental nurse, and one reception manager. The practice has one treatment room.
The practice is owned by an individual who is the orthodontist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.
On the day of inspection, we collected 32 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.
During the inspection we spoke with the orthodontist, the dental nurse, the reception manager and a quality assurance coordinator. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Our key findings were:
- Patients received their care and treatment from well-supported staff, who enjoyed their work.
- The practice staff 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 suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- The provider had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
- Members of the dental team were up-to-date with their continuing professional development and were supported to meet the requirements of their professional registration.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- The practice had effective leadership and a culture of continuous audit and improvement.