Better Dental Ltd

We carried out this announced inspection on 23 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 Care Quality Commission, (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 this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Better Dental Ltd is in Rochdale and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

A ramp is provided for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. On street parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists, three dental nurses (one of whom manages the practice), one dental hygiene therapist and one receptionist. The practice has two treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC 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 Better Dental Ltd is the practice owner.

On the day of inspection, we collected 15 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. These provided a positive view of the dental team and care provided by the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with both dentists, two dental nurses, the dental hygiene therapist, the receptionist and a company manager who is currently overseeing the management of two dental practices. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday 9am to 3pm

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5.30pm

Wednesday 9am to 6.30pm

Saturday 9am to 1pm (one per month)

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared to be visibly 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 provider systems to identify and manage risk to patients and staff should be reviewed.
• The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines. Antimicrobial prescribing and the documentation of care could be improved.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively. The complaints process could be improved to ensure a timely response and to resolve complaints amicably.
• The provider had information governance arrangements.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Full details of the regulations the provider is not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

• Improve the practice's complaint handling procedures for identifying, receiving, recording, handling and responding to complaints by service users.