Archived: The Beulah Hill Dental Centre

Updated 7 January 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The inspection took place on the 28 October 2015 and was undertaken by a CQC inspector, a second CQC inspector and a dental specialist adviser. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information submitted by the provider and information available on the provider’s website.

The methods used to carry out this inspection included speaking with the dentists, dental nurses and reception staff on the day of the inspection, reviewing documents, completed patient feedback forms and observations.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?

• Is it effective?

• Is it caring?

• Is it responsive to people’s needs?

• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection

Updated 7 January 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 28 October 2015

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

The Beulah Hill Dental Practice is located in the London Borough of Croydon and provides predominantly NHS dental services. The demographics of the practice were mixed, serving patients from a range of social and ethnic backgrounds.

The practice staffing consists of five dentists, six dental nurses, one trainee dental nurses, two receptionists (although the dental nurses also performed reception duties).

The practice is open Monday to Thursdays from 8.00am to 4.00pm and Fridays from 8.00am to 12.00pm. The practice facilities include four consultation rooms, reception and waiting area, decontamination room, staff room and administration office. The premises are wheelchair accessible and have facilities for wheelchair users.

The principal dentist is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. 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.

The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a CQC inspector and a dentist specialist advisor.

We received 50 completed Care Quality Commission comment cards and spoke with three patients during our inspection. Patient feedback was very positive about the service. Patients told us that staff were professional and caring and treated them with respect. They described the service as very good and providing an excellent standard of care. Information was given to patients appropriately and staff were helpful.

Our key findings were:

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with current guidance.
• Patients were involved in their care and treatment planning so they could make informed decisions.
• Appropriate systems were in place to safeguard patients from abuse
• There were effective processes in place to reduce and minimise the risk and spread of infection.
• There were appropriate equipment and access to emergency drugs to enable the practice to respond to medical emergencies. Staff knew where equipment was stored.
• All clinical staff were up to date with their continuing professional development. Opportunities existed for staff to develop.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties, and equipment was maintained appropriately.
• Appropriate governance arrangements were in place to facilitate the smooth running of the service, including a programme of audits for continuous improvements.