We carried out this unannounced inspection on 5 April 2018 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was led by a CQC inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.
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 form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services effective?
We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services caring?
We found this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services responsive?
We found this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
Fourways Dental Surgery is in Borough Green in Sevenoaks and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including some for blue badge holders, are available near the practice.
The dental team includes three dentists, two dental hygienists, four dental nurses (one of which is the practice manager), two trainee dental nurses and two receptionists. The practice has four 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 Fourways Dental Surgery was one of the principal dentists.
On this occasion we did not supply any CQC comment cards as this was an unannounced inspection. We did speak with three patients following our inspection over the telephone.
During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, three dental nurses, two receptionists 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 to Friday 8.30am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.30pm.
- Saturdays 08.30am – 1.00pm. (alternate Saturdays)
- Closed Sundays.
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
- The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The practice did not have systems to help them manage risk.
- The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- The practice did not have robust staff recruitment procedures.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
- The appointment system met patients’ needs.
- The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
- The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
- The practice had suitable information governance arrangements.
We identified regulations the provider was not meeting. They must:
- Ensure introduction of a system or process to monitor and mitigate risks, incidents and events for the safety of patients and staff and learn from these.
- Ensure complete contemporaneous records are recorded and retained by the practice in relation to sedation carried out.
- Ensure that recruitment documents identified in Schedule 3 Of the Health and Social Care Act (2008) are obtained for all staff employed at the practice and visiting clinicians.
Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should: review and update on an annual basis all of their policies, procedures and protocols.