The Care Quality Commission
  • Dentist
  • Dentist

Courtyard Dental Care

5 Belks Court, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 1DF (01977) 799340

Provided and run by:
Dr. Henry Letuka

All Inspections

29 June 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this announced focussed inspection on 29 June 2021 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 asked the following three questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• 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 well-led?

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

Background

Courtyard Dental Care is inPontefract and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes one dentist, two dental nurses and a receptionist. The practice has two 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.

During the inspection we spoke with the dentist and two dental nurses. 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 5pm

Friday from 9am to 4pm

Our key findings were:

  • 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 were available. Some items of the emergency equipment were missing.
  • Improvements could be made to the management of the risks associated with Legionella and fire.
  • 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 clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
  • Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
  • Improvements could be made to the audit processes.
  • 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 had information governance arrangements.

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

  • Improve the security of NHS prescription pads in the practice and ensure there are systems in place to track and monitor their use.
  • Take action to implement any recommendations in the practice's fire safety risk assessment and ensure ongoing fire safety management is effective.
  • Take action to ensure staff have completed training in the detection and treatment of sepsis.
  • Take action to implement any recommendations in the practice's Legionella risk assessment, taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: 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.
  • Improve the practice's processes for the control and storage of substances hazardous to health identified by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, to ensure risk assessments are undertaken on all substances.
  • Take action to ensure audits of radiography and infection prevention and control are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service.

17 November 2016

During a routine inspection

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 17 November 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Courtyard Dental Care is situated in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The practice offers predominately NHS dental treatments to patients of all ages. The services include preventative advice and treatment and routine restorative dental care.

The practice has two surgeries, a decontamination room, a waiting area and a reception area. All of the facilities are on the ground floor of the premises along with toilets.

There are two dentists and four dental nurses (one of whom is a trainee and one also covers the duties of a practice manager).

The opening hours are Monday to Friday from 9-00am to 5-00pm.

The practice owner is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

During the inspection we received feedback from 29 patients. The patients were positive about the care and treatment they received at the practice. Comments included staff were friendly, caring and respectful. They also commented the premises were clean and hygienic and they could get emergency appointments when required.

Our key findings were:

  • The practice was visibly clean and uncluttered.
  • The practice had systems in place to assess and manage risks to patients and staff including health and safety and the management of medical emergencies.
  • Staff were qualified and had received training appropriate to their roles.
  • Patients were involved in making decisions about their treatment and were given clear explanations about their proposed treatment including costs, benefits and risks.
  • Dental care records showed treatment was planned in line with current best practice guidelines.
  • Oral health advice and treatment were provided in-line with the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ toolkit (DBOH).
  • Staff ensured there was sufficient time to explain fully the care and treatment they were providing in a way patients understood.
  • Patients were able to make routine and emergency appointments when needed.
  • The governance systems were effective.
  • Staff told us they felt supported, appreciated and comfortable to raise concerns or make suggestions.
  • The practice had a complaints system in place. The complaints procedure in the waiting room was not up to date and there was no system in place to record verbal complaints.
  • We observed some breaches of confidentiality in the waiting area.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

  • Review the practice’s safeguarding policy ensuring the contact details of the local safeguarding team are readily available.
  • Review its responsibilities as regards to the Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 and, ensure all substances are risk assessed and staff understand how to minimise risks associated with the use of and handling of these substances.
  • Review staff awareness of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities under the Act as it relates to their role.
  • Review staff’s awareness of confidentiality to ensure no personal details are discussed at the reception desk.
  • Review the practice’s process to ensure the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) audits are completed on a six monthly basis.
  • Review its complaint handling procedures and establish an accessible system for identifying, receiving, recording, handling and responding to complaints by patients.