Archived: Devonshire House Dental Practice

Updated 31 March 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 22 February 2016 and was conducted by a CQC inspector, a specialist dental advisor and a dental nurse advisor.

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.

Prior to the inspection we asked the practice to send us some information which we reviewed. This included the complaints they had received in the last 12 months, their latest statement of purpose, the details of their staff members, their qualifications, and proof of registration with their professional bodies.

We also reviewed the information we held about the practice and found there were no areas of concern.

During the inspection we spoke with dentists, the practice manager, dental nurses, receptionist manager, care co-coordinator, members of the financial team, and two laboratory technicians. We reviewed policies, procedures and other documents. We received feedback from 30 patients during the inspection process.

Updated 31 March 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 22 February 2016 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

Devonshire House Dental Practice is a private dental practice in Cambridge City, offering private dental treatment to adults and children. The practice offers in house specialist dental treatment such as orthodontics (specialism in treating patients with improper positioning of teeth), endodontics (root canal therapy), periodontics (specialism in prevention and treatment of the inflammatory disease affecting the supporting structures of the teeth), and prosthodontics (specialism in replacement or reconstruction of lost or damaged teeth). The practice accepts referrals for dental cone beam computerised tomography (CT) scans which provide detailed three dimensional images of the jaw (including teeth and other oral structures). The practice has a purpose built laboratory, off site 3 miles away and has a smaller one within the practice. This enables the laboratory technicians to assist the dentists for emergency repairs to dentures. The practice is a training practice for post graduate education, training, and mentoring to dental professionals.

Six dentists are partners and they hold managerial and financial responsibility for the practice. The practice employs six associate dentists, six hygienists, six laboratory technicians, and one laboratory assistant. There are twenty-two trained dental nurses, one treatment co-ordinator, and one marketing manager. There is a practice manager, a reception and a financial manager. A team of ten receptionists and administrators supports the clinical and management team.

The practice operates over two floors. The ground floor of the practice has six treatment rooms, reception area, and additional desks where calls can be answered if needed, practice manager and care co-ordinator rooms There is a large waiting room and two toilets, one contains a shower and is suitable for disabled patients. A decontamination room for cleaning, sterilising, and packing dental instruments, plaster room for casting denture models and laboratory. Two rooms used for taking X-rays and dental cone beam computerised tomography (CT) scanning are located on the ground floor.

On the first floor, not accessible to patients who cannot manage the stairs there are a further three treatment rooms, patient recovery room, two storage rooms and patient toilet. A staff room with changing facilities and office space are accessed by a staircase from the staff kitchen area.

Further storage for consumables and for waste was located in a secure area alongside the building. There is a car park with disabled spaces available.

The practice manager 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.

We received feedback from 30 patients during the inspection process. We received positive comments about the cleanliness of the premises, the empathy and responsiveness of staff, and the quality of treatment provided.

Five patients told us that staff explained treatment plans to them well. Patients reported that the practice had seen them on the same day for emergency treatment. Patients commented that the service they received was good, and that they were always clear about the costs involved in their treatment.

Our key findings were:

• Staff had awareness and knew the processes to follow in order to raise any concerns regarding safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
• Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies and appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were readily available and accessible.
• Infection control procedures were in place and staff had access to personal protective equipment.
• Patients’ care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with evidence based guidelines and current legislation.
• Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits, and risks and were involved in making decisions about them.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and confidentiality was maintained.
• The appointment system met the needs of patients and waiting times were kept to a minimum.
• The practice staff felt involved and worked as a team.

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

• Review the policies and procedures with due regard to the Guidance on the safe use of Dental Cone Beam CT (computed tomography) prepared by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) October 2010.

• Conduct regular fire evacuation drills to ensure that patients and staff are kept safe.