Old Christchurch road partnership

We carried out this announced inspection on 23 August 2019 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

Old Christchurch Road Partnership is in Bournemouth and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

Car parking spaces, including those for blue badge holders, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes three dentists, one dental nurse, one trainee dental nurse, one decontamination technician, two dental hygienists, two receptionists and one practice manager. 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 Old Christchurch Road is the practice manager. A registered manager is legally responsible for the delivery of services for which the practice is registered.

On the day of inspection, we received feedback from 23 patients.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, the dental nurse, the trainee dental nurse, one dental hygienist, one receptionist 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 Thursday 8.30am to 5pm

Friday 8.30am to 4pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had thorough 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.
• Staff provided preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Improvements need to be made to the use of closed circuit television cameras and policies in line with guidance.
• Improvements need to be made to antibiotic stewardship prescribing audits.
• Improvements need to be considered to ventilation and temperature control.
• Improvements need to be made to the understanding of incident reviews by staff.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the practice’s protocols for the use of closed circuit television cameras, taking into account the guidelines published by the Information Commissioner's Office.

• Review the practice protocols regarding audits for prescribing of antibiotic medicines, taking into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice.

• Review the suitability of the premises and ensure all areas are fit for the purpose for which they are being used, in particular ventilation and temperature control for the storage of products and staff welfare.

• Review the practice’s system for recording, investigating and reviewing incidents or significant events, with a view to preventing further occurrences and ensuring that improvements are made as a result.