St Mary's Street Dental Practice

We carried out this announced inspection on 14 January 2020 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 two specialist dental advisers.

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

St Mary's Dental Practice is a large family practice, based in the centre of Ely. It provides both NHS and private treatment and serves a large catchment area. There are seven treatment rooms and the dental team includes nine dentists, ten dental nurses, four hygienists, reception staff and a practice manager.

There is ramp access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Parking is available on streets and in public car parks nearby.

The practice is open Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 8.30am to 5pm; on Tuesdays from 8.30am to 7 pm and on Thursdays from 8.30am to 6pm. Appointments outside these times are available by arrangement.

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 the practice is the principal dentist.

On the day of inspection, we collected 24 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with another two patients during our inspection. We spoke with the practice manager, three dentists, three 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 satisfied about all aspects of the service the practice provided and commented positively on 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.
• Staff had systems to help them identify and manage risks to patients and staff.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• Patients’ care and treatment was provided in line with current guidelines.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The practice had effective leadership and a culture of improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.

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

• Review the practice's recruitment procedures to ensure that appropriate checks are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.