Westbury Park Dental Practice

We carried out this announced inspection on 9 January 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 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 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

Westbury Park Dental Practice is in Newcastle-under-Lyme and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There are concrete ramps to both front doors which can then be accessed by using a portable ramp over the one step for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available in the free shoppers’ car park surrounding the practice.

The dental team includes six dentists, seven dental nurses (two of whom are trainees), one dental hygienist, one dental hygiene therapist, four receptionists and the practice manager. The practice has five treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC 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 Westbury Park Dental Practice is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 31 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, one dental hygiene therapist, one receptionist, two area development managers 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 to Thursday from 9am to 6pm.

Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Saturday by appointment only.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was part of a large corporate group which had a support centre in Manchester where support teams including human resources, IT, finance, health and safety, learning and development, clinical support and patient support services were based. These teams supported and offered expert advice and updates to the practice when required.
• The practice appeared to be visibly 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.
• The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation. The practice had access to support from a dedicated human resources and recruitment team based within the company’s support centre.
• 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 provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team. There was an effective staffing structure which extended to senior management who were visible and supported the practice manager on the day of our visit by basing themselves at the practice.
• 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.