Updated 16 May 2018
We carried out this announced inspection on 13 March 2018 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
Apollonia House Dental & Health Care is in Oldham and provides privately funded treatment to adults and children.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. The practice has a car park which includes spaces for blue badge holders.
The dental team includes seven dentists (one of whom has a special interest in endodontics and one in orthodontics), three dental hygienists, a treatment co-ordinator, nine dental nurses (one of whom is a trainee), three decontamination staff members and three receptionists. The clinical team is supported by a practice manager. The practice also has an anaesthetist who attends as necessary to provide sedation services. There are five treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. The registered manager at Apollonia House Dental & Health Care was the practice manager.
On the day of inspection, we collected 16 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.
During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, four dental nurses and decontamination staff, a dental hygienist, the practice manager and a compliance manager from the organisation. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday 08:00 to 20:00
Tuesday and Thursday 08:00 to 18:00
Wednesday 08:00 to 19:00
Friday 08:00 to 17:00
Saturday 08.00 to 13.00 by appointment only
Our key findings were:
- The practice was clean and well maintained.
- The practice had infection control policies which reflected published guidance. Minor improvements were needed to the decontamination processes.
- 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 and should:
- Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’.
- Review the practice’s procedures for closed-circuit television (CCTV) and compliance with the Information Commissioner’s Office protocols (ICO).