Updated 31 January 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 3 January 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 not providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
Beaumont Dental Centre is in Oxford and provides private treatment to patients of all ages.
There is level access for people who use wheelchairs, those with pushchairs via the rear of the practice. Car parking spaces, including space for blue badge holders, are available behind the practice.
The dental team includes three dentists, one dental nurse, two trainee dental nurses, two dental hygienists, and two receptionists. One of the receptionists carries out practice management tasks. The practice has five 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 Beaumont Dental Centre was one of the partners.
On the day of our inspection we collected 31 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and obtained the views of 14 other patients.
During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, one dental nurse, two trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist and two receptionists. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
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. .
- The practice had 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 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.
- The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
- The appointment system met patients’ needs.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
- Improvements were required to several areas of the practice.
We identified regulations the provider was not meeting. They must:
- Ensure recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed.
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 the practice’s systems for environmental cleaning taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices.
- Review the availability of equipment in the practice to manage medical emergencies taking into account the guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the General Dental Council.
- Review the practice's current performance review systems and have an effective process established for the on-going assessment and supervision of all staff.