Updated 9 February 2018
We carried out a follow-up inspection at Springs Dental Studio on 3 January 2018.
We had undertaken an unannounced focussed inspection of this service on 8 December 2017 as part of our regulatory functions where a breach of legal requirements was found.
After the focussed inspection, the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. We checked whether they had followed their action plan to confirm that they now met the legal requirements.
We reviewed the practice against one of the five questions we ask about services: are the services well led? You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Springs Dental Studio on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
We revisited Springs Dental Studio as part of this review and checked whether they now met the legal requirements. We carried out this announced inspection on 3 January 2018 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 CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
• Is it well-led?
This question forms the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.
Our findings were:
Are services well-led?
We found that this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
Springs Dental Studio is in Darlington and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including for patients with disabled badges, are available near the practice.
The dental team includes two practice owners (one of whom is a dentist and the other is a dental nurse), two dentists, two dental nurses, one dental hygienist and a receptionist.
The practice has three surgeries. Two on the ground floor and one on the first floor, a decontamination room for sterilising dental instruments, a staff room/kitchen and a general office.
The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. The registered manager at Springs Dental Studio was one of the partners.
During the inspection we spoke with one dental nurse, the receptionist and one of the practice owners. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am – 5pm
Saturday for private patients 9am -12pm.
Our key findings were:
- Staff were familiar with the need to report and investigate significant events.
- A process had been implemented to ensure all instruments were stored according to current guidance.
- Procedures and processes relating to infection prevention and control had been improved.
- The practice had implemented checklists for medical emergency medicines and equipment.
- A new infection prevention and control audit had been carried out and this included an action plan.
- Recruitment documents were available for all staff.