Archived: Briggate Dental Practice Limited

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 16 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 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

Briggate Dental Practice Limited is situated in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire. It offers mainly NHS treatment to patients of all ages but also offers private dental treatments. The services include preventative advice and treatment, routine restorative dental care, implants and short term orthodontics.

The practice has three surgeries, a decontamination room, two waiting areas and a reception area. The reception area and one waiting area are on the ground floor. The three surgeries and the second waiting area are on the first floor.

There are two dentists, a dental hygiene therapist, four dental nurses (including two trainees) and two receptionists.

The opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 9-00am to 5-00pm and Friday from 9-00am to 4-30pm. They are closed between 12-00pm and 1-30pm for lunch.

The practice owner 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.

During the inspection we spoke with eight patients who used the service and reviewed 50 completed CQC comment cards. The patients were positive about the care and treatment they received at the practice. Comments included that the staff were caring, friendly and efficient. They also commented that the environment was safe and hygienic.

Our key findings were:

• The practice had some systems in place to assess and manage risks to patients and staff including infection prevention, control and health and safety and the management of medical emergencies.
• Staff were safely recruited 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.
• Treatment was planned and provided in line with current guidelines.
• We observed that patients were treated with kindness and respect by staff. 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.
• There were clearly defined leadership roles within the practice and staff told us that they felt supported, appreciated and comfortable to raise concerns or make suggestions.

The practice had a complaints system in place and there was an openness and transparency in how these were dealt with.

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

• Review the practice’s protocols for the storage of glucagon.
• Review the practice’s waste handling policy to ensure waste is stored securely giving due regard to guidance issued in the Health Technical Memorandum 07-01 (HTM 07-01).
• Review the practice’s protocol for the storage of local anaesthetics.
• Review the practice’s process for the auditing of infection control giving due regard to guidance issued in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05).
• Review the practice’s protocol for the storage of mops giving due regard to guidance issued in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05).
• Review the practice’s procedure for the storage of dental burs giving due regard to guidance issued in HTM 01-05.