- Dentist
Great Cornard Dental Practice
Assessment report published 4 June 2026
Contents
Judgements
Our view of the service
We undertook a follow-up on-site inspection on 21 April 2026. This was carried out to review the actions taken by the registered provider to improve the quality of care and to assess whether the practice was meeting legal requirements.
We had previously undertaken an announced on-site inspection of Great Cornard Dental Practice on 27 January 2025 and 22 January 2026. We had found the registered provider was not providing safe or well-led care and was in breach of regulation 12 safe care and treatment and regulation 17 good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
During our follow-up inspection, we found the practice made some improvements but had not met all regulations.
Some improvements had been made to the systems to manage risks.
Improvements had been made to the recruitment procedures.
Some improvements had been made to the oversight of the service to ensure the risks associated with the carrying out of the regulated activities are managed effectively.
The practice did not handle complaints effectively.
Great Cornard Dental Practice is in Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There was step-free access to the practice and car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, were available at the practice. The practice had 1 treatment room (there were 2 other treatment rooms, but at the time of our inspection, these were not in use).At the time of our inspection, there was a total of 3 staff, of which there was 1 dentist, 1 dental nurse and a receptionist. We gathered feedback from all the staff.
The provider was not complying with Regulation 17 Good governance. Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are within the inspection findings below.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this inspection.
People's experience of this service
On the day of our inspection, we spoke with 7 patients and saw patient feedback from a further 5 patients. Patient feedback provided a generally positive view of the dental team and care provided by the practice. However, patients raised concerns regarding access to appointments and repeated cancellation of appointments.
We also looked at feedback from patients gathered by the practice over the previous year. We noted 24 of the 26 feedback forms the practice received contained generally positive feedback about the dentist, staff and the treatment received. However, we noted patients again expressed concerns regarding appointment cancellations and telephone access.
Comments included, ‘He [the dentist] is a gentle soul who put me at ease from my fist visit’, ‘ The receptionist is always helpful when needed, lovely dentist’ and ‘Very friendly staff and great service.’ Other comments included, ‘Cancelled frequently and at short notice’, ‘Difficult to get through on the phone’, ‘I have had appointments cancelled 26 times over the last 19 months’ and ‘Cancelled 3 times.’
Patients commented that they were able to book appointments within an acceptable timescale for their needs, however they had experienced cancellations. Patients told us the receptionist had been very helpful and communicative with regard to ensuring patients could rebook appointments. We were also told by patients that once seen, patients had enough time during their appointment without feeling rushed.
Patients told us they were giveninformation to help them make an informed choice about their treatment. They were involved in decisions about their care.
Patients said that when they were prescribed medicines, sufficient information was given.
There was scope for improvement in sharing patient feedback with the team, ensuring it was reviewed and taking appropriate action where suggestions had been made.
Complaints were not responded to within an acceptable timeframe, in line with the practice policy and recommended guidance.