• Dentist
  • Dentist

Phillips & Co Cosmetic Dentistry

15 Woodland Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 7BJ (01325) 466867

Provided and run by:
Dr Scott Phillips

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

All Inspections

23/04/2024

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We undertook a follow up focused inspection of Phillips and Co Cosmetic Dentistry on 23 April 2024. This inspection was carried out to review the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.

The inspection was led by two CQC inspectors.

We had previously undertaken a comprehensive inspection of Phillips and Co Cosmetic Dentistry on 16 November 2023 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well-led care and was in breach of regulation 17 (Good governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Phillips and Co Cosmetic Dentistry on our website www.cqc.org.uk.

When 1 or more of the 5 questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the area where improvement was required.

As part of this inspection we asked:

  • Is it well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breach we found at our inspection on 16 November 2023

Background

Phillips & Co Cosmetic Dentistry is in Darlington and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs at the rear of the practice and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available for patients upon request. There are pay and display car parking spaces available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 2 dentists, 2 dental nurses and 1 receptionist. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist and 2 dental nurses. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5:30pm

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

  • Consider taking action to ensure staff have received appropriate training to manage medical emergencies, taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council. The practice should consider ensuring staff complete a practical element of intermediate life support training (ILS) to ensure the persons providing care or treatment and undertaking sedation have the requisite skills and competence, and continue to have the requisite skills and competence to perform intermediate life support safely.

16 November 2023

During a routine inspection

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on Thursday 16 November 2023 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 practice 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 advisor and a second CQC inspector.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 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:

  • The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
  • The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
  • Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Not all the appropriate life-saving equipment was available in accordance with current guidelines. The checking process could be improved.
  • The practice had some systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment, and the premises but improvements were required to ensure processes were effective.
  • Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
  • The practice had staff recruitment procedures in place however improvements were required to ensure essential checks are in place.
  • Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
  • The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
  • Staff felt involved, supported and worked as a team.
  • Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
  • Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
  • Oversight and management of systems and processes could be improved.

Background

Phillips & Co Cosmetic Dentistry is in Darlington and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs at the rear of the practice and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available for patients upon request. There are pay and display car parking spaces available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 2 dentists, 3 dental nurses and 1 receptionist. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 2 dentists and 1 dental nurse. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday – Thursday from 9am to 5:30pm

Friday from 9am to 2pm

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

  • Improve the practice's risk management systems for monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the carrying on of the regulated activities.
  • Implement audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines and patient dental care records taking into account the guidance provided by the College of General Dentistry.