Updated 19 June 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 28 May 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
FP Dental is in Barnsley and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.
There is ramp access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking is available near the practice.
The dental team includes three dentists (two of whom are the partners), four dental nurses, one dental hygiene therapist and one receptionist. The practice is supported by a practice manager, and there are three 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 FP Dental is one of the partners.
On the day of inspection, we collected 46 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with four other patients.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, the 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 9am – 5:30pm
Friday 9am – 1pm.
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
- The provider had infection control procedures which, in most areas reflected published guidance. Minor adjustments to the process could be made.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The practice 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 were providing 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 were required relating to the grading and audit of radiographs.
- 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 infection control procedures and protocols taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’ In particular: review the use of tape and labels and review the work flow to ensure processes are in line with recommended guidance.
- Review the practice’s protocols to ensure the grading of radiographs and subsequent audits are carried out in line with recommended guidance.
- Review the practice's responsibilities to the Accessible Information Standard, which is a requirement to make sure that patients and their carers can access and understand the information they are given.