Archived: Roseberry Dental Practice

We carried out this announced inspection on 29 May 2019 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.

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

Roseberry Dental Practice is in the centre of Guisborough and provides mainly NHS with some private dental treatment for adults. Parking is available outside the practice with access to public transport nearby.

The practice is based on the ground and first floor. Access is difficult for people who use wheelchairs. Alternative dental practices with disabled access are available in the area if required.

The dental team includes five dentists, one dental hygienist, five dental nurses, two receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.

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 79 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. All the comment cards were extremely positive about the service and care received.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists (one of whom was the principal dentist), two dental nurses, a receptionist 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 8:30am-6pm and Tuesday- Friday 8:30am-5.30pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared 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. We noted that some items were omitted from the medical emergency kit.
• Prescription pads were not always held securely, and effective monitoring was not in place.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures in place.
• 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 were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• Risks were well managed, we noted that the frequency of legionella water tests, medical emergency kit checks and fire tests needed to be increased.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the security of NHS prescription pads in the practice and ensure there are systems in place to track and monitor their use.
• Review the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.
• Review the frequency of essential safety checks in particular, legionella, medical emergency kit and fire detection tests.