6, 13 March 2014
During a routine inspection
We spoke with the dentist who was the registered manager and the dental nurse who was also acting practice manager. We also spoke with one of the two part-time receptionists, six patients and one of their relatives. We looked at the service's policies, eleven sets of clinical records, and staff files. We also took information from other sources to help us understand the views of patients, which included a satisfaction survey.
We found that patients were respected and involved in their care. One patient told us, "I have been coming here for the last thirty odd years, this is an excellent dentist, they keep you informed all the way". Another patient told us, "We are never rushed, we get plenty of information and we can always take our time to decide before anything is done".
We found that treatment was delivered in line with patients' care plans and adjusted to meet individual needs. One patient told us, "I have no complaints. This dental practice is everything I wished for, I would recommend it 100%". Another patient said, "This dentist and all the staff are great, it is still a pleasure to come here and I have been with this dentist for 35 years". A relative of a child who received treatment told us, "We trust this dentist, he is very good and kind with nervous patients".
The practice had a safeguarding policy for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. All staff had been trained and were aware of their responsibilities and procedures to follow in respect of safeguarding and whistle blowing.
The practice was following appropriate guidance in relation to infection control. The dental nurse who took the lead in infection control told us, "We adhere to the Department of Health guidelines, I keep myself informed of any changes and implement any updates in the dental practice straight away". A patient told us, "The practice and surgery are always spotless".
The service had an effective system of audits in place, an incident reporting system and a complaints policy with clear procedures. Patients' views were sought to identify how the service could improve.