Archived: Laburnum NW Limited

Updated 2 May 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The inspection took place on 21 March 2017 and was led by a CQC Inspector with remote access to a dental specialist adviser.

Prior to the inspection we asked the practice to send us some information which we reviewed. This included details of complaints they had received in the last 12 months, their latest statement of purpose, and staff details, including their qualifications and professional body registration number where appropriate. We also reviewed information we held about the practice.

During the inspection we spoke to two dentists, the practice manager, dental nurses and receptionists. We reviewed policies, protocols and other documents and observed procedures. We also reviewed CQC comment cards which we had sent prior to the inspection for patients to complete about the services provided at the practice.

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 therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 2 May 2017

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 21 March 2017 to ask the practice the following key questions; are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Laburnum NW Limited is located in a residential suburb close to the centre of Handforth. It comprises a reception and waiting room, a treatment room on the ground floor, and a treatment room, decontamination room and patient toilet facilities on the first floor. Parking is available in the practice’s own car park. The practice is accessible to patients with disabilities, limited mobility, and to wheelchair users.

The practice provides general dental treatment to adults and children on a privately funded basis. The practice also accepts referrals from other practices for endodontic, (root canal) treatments. The opening times are Monday to Friday 8.20am to 5.30pm. The practice is staffed by a principal dentist, a practice manager, two associate dentists, a dental hygienist, five dental nurses, and a receptionist.

The principal dentist is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

We received feedback from 32 people during the inspection about the services provided. Patients commented that they found the practice excellent and well organised, and that staff were professional, friendly, and caring. They said the dentists listened to them and they were always given good explanations about dental treatment. Patients commented that the practice provided a serene, uncluttered, clean environment. Patients highlighted that the dentists offered expert care and kept up to date with technology.

Our key findings were:

• The practice had procedures in place to record, analyse and learn from significant events and incidents.
• Staff had received safeguarding training, and knew the processes to follow to raise concerns.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and skilled staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies, and emergency medicines and equipment were available.
• The premises and equipment were clean, secure and well maintained.
• Staff followed current infection control guidelines for decontaminating and sterilising instruments.
• Patients’ needs were assessed, and care and treatment were delivered, in accordance with current standards and guidance.
• Patients received information about their care, proposed treatment, costs, benefits, and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• Staff were supported to deliver effective care, and opportunities for training and learning were available.
• Patients were treated with kindness, dignity, and respect, and their confidentiality was maintained.
• The appointment system met the needs of patients, and patients were always seen in an emergency.
• Services were planned and delivered to meet the needs of patients.
• The practice gathered and took account of the views of patients.
• Staff were supervised, felt involved, and worked together as a team.
• Governance arrangements were in place for the smooth running of the practice, and for the delivery of high quality person centred care.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the practice’s arrangements for responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and through the Central Alerting System, as well as from other relevant bodies such as Public Health England.
• Review the system for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the undertaking of the regulated activities, specifically in relation to the assessment of staff immunisation status, the external security of the waste container, and the implementation of the actions from the Legionella risk assessment.
• Review the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure satisfactory evidence of qualifications for new staff, where relevant, is requested and recorded suitably.