Archived: Perfect Profiles - Houghton Regis

Updated 19 April 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

We carried out an announced, comprehensive inspection on 15 March 2016. The inspection team consisted of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector and a dental specialist advisor.

Before the inspection we asked the for information to be sent, this included the complaints the practice had received in the last 12 months; their latest statement of purpose; the details of the staff members, their qualifications and proof of registration with their professional bodies. We spoke with nine members of staff during the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, and three dental nurses, a receptionist, the practice manager and the practice’s CQC manager. We also met with the area manager, the clinical lead, sales and marketing executives and the directors of the company. We reviewed the practice’s policies, procedures and other documents. We received feedback from eight patients about the dental service.

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 therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 19 April 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 15 March 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

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

Perfect Profiles - Houghton Regis is a private dental practice which offers mostly implant treatments, with a small amount of general dentistry to adults (a dental implant is a metal post that is surgically placed into the jaw bone and can be used to support a single tooth restoration. Multiple implants can be used to support a bridge or denture) The practice is situated on the first floor of a commercial property in the centre of Houghton Regis, a town in Bedfordshire.

The practice employs three implantologists (a qualified dentist with training in placing implants) two general dentists, 10 qualified dental nurses, a practice manager, a Care Quality Commission (CQC) manager and a receptionist.

The practice was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September 2012.

The CQC manager is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. 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.

We received positive feedback from eight patients about the services provided. This was through CQC comment cards left at the practice prior to the inspection and by speaking with patients in the practice.

Our key findings were

• The practice exceeded essential standards in infection control as set out in the ‘Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05): Decontamination in primary care dental practices.’ published by the Department of Health.
• Patients commented that staff were helpful, professional and very supportive throughout their treatment.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties, and equipment was well maintained.

• The provider had emergency medicines in line with the British National Formulary (BNF) guidance for medical emergencies in dental practice.

• Governance arrangements were in place for the smooth running of the practice; however clinical audits did not always have a documented action plan.

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

• Review availability of equipment to manage medical emergencies giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK), and the General Dental Council (GDC) standards for the dental team.

• 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 the practice’s sharps procedures giving due regard to the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.

• Review the practice’s protocols for conscious sedation and staff training to ensure that dental nursing staff who are assisting in conscious sedation have the appropriate training giving due regard to 2015 guidelines published by The Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Sedation in Dentistry in the document 'Standards for Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care 2015.

• Review the protocol for completing accurate, complete and detailed records relating to employment of staff. This includes making appropriate notes of verbal references taken and ensuring recruitment checks, including references, are suitably obtained and recorded.

• Review the practice’s audit protocols of various aspects of the service, such as radiography and dental care records at regular intervals to help improve the quality of service. The practice should also check all audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.

• Review the availability of an interpreting service for patients who do not speak English as their first language.