Kendrick View Dental Practice

We carried out this announced inspection on 13 February 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

Kendrick View Dental Practice is in Reading and provides NHS dental care and treatment for children and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access, via a portable ramp, to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, is at the rear of the practice.

The dental team includes seven dentists, one oral surgeon, one implantologist, one periodontist, two endodontists, nine dental nurses, one trainee dental nurse, seven dental hygienists, one administrator, four receptionists and a practice manager.

The practice has nine treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an organisation and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. The registered manager at Kendrick View Dental Practice is the principal dentist.

On the day of inspection, we collected 153 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with seven other patients.

During the inspection we spoke with four dentists, three dental nurses, one dental hygienist, two receptionists and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

• Monday 8am to 6pm
• Tuesday 8am to 5pm
• Wednesday 8am to 5pm
• Thursday 8am to 5pm
• Friday 8am to 2pm
• Saturday 8.30am to 12.30pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. We found improvements were needed.
• 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. We found improvements were needed for the management of fire safety and COSHH.
• 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.
• 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.
• Improvements were needed to the effectiveness and frequency of clinical audits.
• 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 and efficiently.
• The provider had information governance arrangements.

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

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

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

• Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines taking into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice.
• Improve the practice protocols regarding auditing patient dental care records to check that necessary information is recorded.