Great Dunmow Dental Care

Updated 18 August 2017

Great Dunmow Dental Care is in Great Dunmow and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Limited parking is available outside the practice but there are no dedicated parking bays for patients with disabilities. Additional parking is available in car parks near the practice.

The dental team includes four dentists, three dental nurses including one practice manager/dental nurse and one receptionist. The practice has five treatment rooms, two of which are on the ground floor. There is a reception and waiting room on the ground floor.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist 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 five CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with four other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

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

The practice is open:

Monday; 9am to 5.30pm.

Tuesday; 9am to 6.30pm.

Wednesday; 9am to 5.30pm.

Thursday; 9am to 6.30pm.

Friday; 9am to 5.30pm.

Saturday and Sunday; 9am to 1pm.

Updated 18 August 2017

We carried out this announced inspection on 24 July 2017 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.

We told the NHS England area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. They did not provide any information.

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.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• 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.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

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

• Review its responsibilities as regards the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 and ensure all documentation is up to date and staff understand how to minimise risks associated with the use and handling of these substances.
• Review the practice's protocols for completion of dental care records taking into account guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping.