Tooting Dental Care

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 17 March 2017to 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

Tooting Dental Centre provides NHS and private dental services. The opening hours for the practice were 8.30 – 5.30pm Monday to Friday and Saturdays 9.30 to 2.30pm.

The premises consist of six treatment rooms, a decontamination room, and a reception area.

The practice comprises of six dentists, four nurses a receptionist and a Practice Manager.

The Practice Manger 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 asked patients to complete CQC comment cards. We received 26 completed comment cards and we spoke to four patients on the day of the inspection. The patients who provided feedback were positive about the care and treatment they received at the practice. They told us they were involved in all aspects of their care and found the staff to be caring and helpful and they were treated with care, dignity and respect.

Our key findings were:

• There were effective processes in place to reduce and minimise the risk and spread of infection.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with current guidance such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Patients were involved in their care and treatment planning.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties and equipment was well maintained.
• Staff were trained in and there was appropriate equipment for them to respond to medical emergencies.
• Patients told us that staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect.
• Patients indicated that they felt they were listened to and that they received good care from a helpful and caring practice team.
• There were processes in place for patients to give their comments and feedback about the service including making complaints and compliments.

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

• Review the practice’s system for the recording, investigating and reviewing incidents or significant events with a view to preventing further occurrences and, ensuring that improvements are made as a result
• Review the practice’s safeguarding policy ensuring it covers both children and adults.

• Review the protocol for completing accurate, complete and detailed records relating to employment of staff. This includes making appropriate notes of verbal reference taken and ensuring recruitment checks, including references, are suitably obtained and recorded.
• Review system to assess, monitor and mitigate the various risks arising from undertaking of the regulated activities to ensure it is effective and conducted at regular intervals.

• Review its complaint handling procedures and establish an accessible system for identifying, receiving, recording, handling and responding to complaints by patients.