Updated 7 March 2019
We undertook a follow-up focused inspection of Grappenhall Dental Practice on 9 January 2019. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the provider to improve the quality of care, and to confirm that the practice was now meeting legal requirements.
The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Grappenhall Dental Practice on 22 August 2018 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. At a comprehensive inspection we always ask the following five questions to get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment:
• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive?
• Is it well-led?
We found the provider was not providing well-led care, and was in breach of Regulations 12 and 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can read our report of that inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Grappenhall Dental Practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
When one or more of the five questions are not met we require the provider to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was necessary.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is it well-led?
Our findings were:
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
The provider had made improvements in relation to the regulatory breaches we identified at our inspection on 22 August 2019.
Background
Grappenhall Dental Practice is near the centre of Grappenhall village. The practice provides private dental care for adults and children.
The provider has installed a ramp to facilitate access to the practice for wheelchair users. Car parking is available near the practice.
The dental team includes a principal dentist, three associate dentists, six dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, and a receptionist. The dental team is supported by a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They 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 to the principal dentist, dental nurses, receptionists and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures, and other records about how the service is managed. We also reviewed the provider’s action plan and evidence sent to us to support the action plan.
The practice is open:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm.
Tuesday 8.00am to 8.00pm.
Our key findings were:
- The provider had improved their systems for assessing, monitoring and reducing risk.
- The provider had improved the practice’s infection prevention and control systems and processes.
- Staff followed published guidance when carrying out decontamination and sterilisation procedures.
- The provider had improved their staff recruitment procedures.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the practice’s protocols for monitoring and improving the quality and safety of the service. In particular, ensure the recommended routine tests of the ultrasonic bath’s efficiency are carried out, and ensure audits of infection prevention and control are accurate and the results are used to formulate an action plan to identify where improvements can be made.