Updated 28 December 2018
We undertook a focused inspection of Thornaby Dental Centre on 22 November 2018
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 was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Thornaby Dental Centre on 22 August 2018 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 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 Thornaby Dental Centre on our website www.cqc.org.uk.
As part of this inspection we asked:
• Is the practice 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 area 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 22 August 2018.
Background
Thornaby Dental Centre is in Stockton-On-Tees and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
There is a step at the entrance to the practice and a portable ramp is available to aid those who require it – for example people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including a designated space for blue badge holders, are available near the practice.
The dental team includes the principal dentist, three associate dentists, five dental nurses (of whom two are trainees), a dental hygiene therapist, two receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms all situated on the ground floor.
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 with the principal dentist and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5.30pm
Thursday 8am to 5.30pm
Saturday by appointment only.
Our key findings were:
- The practice had improved their systems to help them manage risk.
- The practice had effective leadership.
- A culture of continuous improvement was evident.
- The provider had improved their staff recruitment procedures.
- Training of staff was monitored efficiently.
- Interpreter services were available for people who needed it.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the practice’s protocols for ensuring that clinical staff who cannot demonstrate adequate immunity for vaccine preventable infectious diseases, including the vaccine for Hepatitis B, have risk assessments carried out to mitigate any risks to their health.