Coventry Road Dental Practice

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 24 January 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.

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.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. Infection control issues were highlighted during this inspection. The practice assured us that these issues would be addressed.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to manage risks for patients, staff, equipment and the premises.
• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• 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.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• 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.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

Coventry Road Dental Practice is in Small Heath, Birmingham and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. However, there is a small step from the waiting room to gain access to the patient toilet and ground floor treatment room. A portable ramp was available for use to access these areas. Car parking is available on local side roads near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 6 dentists, 5 dental nurses (including 3 trainee dental nurses), 1 practice manager and 2 receptionists. The practice has 5 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with 1 dentist, 1 dental nurse, 1 receptionist and the practice manager. The head of clinical compliance and a compliance manager employed by Rodericks were also in attendance during this inspection. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. The practice is closed each day for lunch from 1pm to 2pm.

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

• Improve the practice's protocols for medicines management and ensure all medicines are stored and dispensed of safely and securely. In particular ensure that disposal records are correctly filled out and complete regarding the disposal of midazolam.

• Improve the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols 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’ In particular ensure that dental spittoons are cleaned effectively and that ripped chairs in dental treatment rooms are repaired or replaced.