Updated 12 September 2019
We undertook a follow up focused inspection of Thomas Dental Practice on 30 July 2019. This inspection was carried out to review in detail the actions taken by the registered 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 had remote access to a specialist dental advisor.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Thomas Dental Practice on 19 February 2019 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We found the registered provider was not providing well led care and was in breach of regulation 17 (Good governance) 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 Thomas dental practice on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is it well-led?
When one or more of the five questions are not met we require the service to make improvements and send us an action plan. We then inspect again after a reasonable interval, focusing on the areas where improvement was required.
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 breach we found at our inspection on 19 February 2019.
Background
Thomas Dental Practice is in Oswestry and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
The practice is located in a listed building and there is no level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. All treatment rooms are on the first floor. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.
The dental team includes five dentists, four dental nurses and one dental hygienist. The practice manager was on maternity leave at the time of our visit and a temporary practice manager was managing the practice until their return in the next few weeks. The practice has three treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers 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 registered manager at Thomas Dental Practice is the principal dentist.
During the inspection we spoke with the temporary practice manager and one dental nurse (who also carries out reception duties). We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9am – 5pm
Thursday: 8am – 4pm
Our key findings were:
- Improvements had been made in the practice’s recruitment procedures, staff training and immunisation records.
- Recommended items for managing medical emergencies were present.
- Dental care professionals now were always supported by a trained member of the dental team when treating patients.
- Improvements in the management of risk particularly the electrical safety at the practice.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the practice’s system for recording, investigating and reviewing incidents with a view to preventing further occurrences and ensuring that improvements are made as a result.
- Review the fire safety risk assessment and ensure that any actions required are completed and ongoing fire safety management is effective.