Grosvenor Dental Practice

We carried out this announced inspection on 15 October 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 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

Grosvenor Dental Practice is located close to the city centre of Stoke-on-Trent. The practice provides private dental treatment to adults with a small NHS contract for children.

There is a removable ramp to get over the single stepped entrance. The practice has four treatment rooms, two of which are located on the ground floor with level access. This is of benefit for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. There is roadside parking available in the area around the practice.

The dental team includes three dentists, one dental hygienist, six qualified dental nurses who also work on reception, including the practice manager.

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.

On the day of inspection, we received feedback from 22 patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, three dental nurses 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 8.30am to 5pm; Tuesday 7.30am to 5pm; Wednesday 7.30am to 5pm; Thursday 8.30am to 7pm; Friday 8.30am to 1pm and Saturdays by appointment only. The practice is closed on Sunday.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice staff 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 had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice staff had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice did not have all of the staff records required by schedule three of the Health and Social Care Act (2008). In particular there was no proof of identity for individuals.
• 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 had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement, although there was scope for improvement regarding audits completed in the practice.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review the practice's recruitment policy and procedures to ensure accurate, complete and detailed records in line with schedule three of the Health and Social Care Act (2008) are maintained for all staff. In particular to ensure is proof of identity for each individual member of staff.

• Review the practice’s protocols to ensure audits are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. The practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.