20 February 2014
During a routine inspection
As part of our inspection we spoke with three patients and observed an initial patient consultation. Patients we talked with were very complimentary about the staff, the service and the treatment they had received. Comments included "The dentist is excellent, they always explain why I need the treatment' and 'They always explain the charges to me'.
We saw that the entries the dentist made in patient notes reflected treatment discussions and choices that patients were given prior to treatments.
Patient's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual treatment plan.
We saw that patient's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual treatment plan. Patients spoke positively about the practice. One patient said "The dentist explained treatments to me' and we observed an initial consultation between the dentist and a patient and saw that the dentist put the patient at ease before checking their medical history and gaining consent to carry out an oral examination. Other patients commented that the staff were 'Pleasant, caring and professional." The atmosphere within the practice was relaxed and friendly and we observed that staff were caring and supportive in their approach to patients.
We found that the registered person was taking reasonable steps to prevent abuse from happening because they had effective systems in place to recruit, train and inform employees about safeguarding issues and that the systems were underpinned by policies and procedures that were reviewed.
There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Policies and procedures covered all areas of infection control from the decontamination process of the dental instruments to the practice environment to staff uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE).
One member of staff told us that 'They get good support to undertake training" and the dentist we spoke to told us that they were supported to maintain their professional development by attending training, conferences and by attending British Dental Association courses.
We found that the practice manager of the service regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided. Patients and their representatives were regularly asked for feedback about their experiences.