Updated 19 October 2020
We carried out this unannounced focussed inspection on 06 October 2020 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.
We undertook an inspection in response to concerns received.
We asked the following question:
•Is it safe?
This question forms part of the framework for the areas we look at during a comprehensive inspection.
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found that this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
The practice is in the city of Leicester and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children. The practice provides general dentistry services.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There are no car parking facilities. Public car parking spaces, including some for blue badge holders, are available on side streets within close proximity of the practice.
The dental team includes four dentists, four dental nurses and one receptionist. The practice has three treatment rooms, two are on ground floor level. There is a separate decontamination facility.
The practice is owned by a company 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 Dental care Clinic Ltd – Loughborough Road is the principal dentist.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, three dental nurses and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open: Monday to Thursday from 9am to 6pm and Friday from 9am to 5pm. The practice closes during lunchtimes between 1pm to 2pm.
Our key findings were :
- The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- The provider had considered the risks presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and had implemented safety measures to protect staff and patients/visitors.
- We looked at processes regarding fallow time in the practice and compliance with national guidance. The provider was following guidance issued.
- We noted some areas for improvement at the point of our inspection, for example, ensuring antibiotics were stored securely and adequate monitoring for prescription pads.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should
- Improve the security of NHS prescription pads in the practice and ensure there are systems in place to track and monitor their use.
- Improve the practice's systems for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the undertaking of the regulated activities. In particular ensure that robust risk assessment is completed if provider intentions are to deviate from national guidance.