Lady Bay Dental Care Ltd

We carried out this announced inspection on 12 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 two specialist dental advisers.

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 providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Lady Bay Dental Care is in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, it provides private dental treatment.

There is level access in to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for people with disabilities, are available at the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists, a dental hygiene therapist, a dental hygienist, four nurses who share reception duties, and a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms, all of which are located on the ground floor. The practice has centralised decontamination facilities.

On the day of inspection, we collected 38 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two other patients. Feedback received about the practice was positive.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, the dental hygienist, three dental nurses 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: from 9.30am to 7pm, Tuesday to Thursday: from 9am to 5pm and Friday: from 9am to 1pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which required some improvements were needed particularly in relation to manual cleaning.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and most of the life-saving equipment were available.
• The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• Improvements could be made to the way sharps were handled and managed within the practice.
• 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.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• 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.

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

• Implement an effective system for monitoring and recording the refrigerator temperature to ensure that medicines and dental care products are being stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.

• Improve the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the : Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’. In particular in relation to manual cleaning.

• Improve the practice’s to ensure the practice is in compliance with the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.

• Implement an effective system of checks of medical emergency equipment and medicines taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.