Updated 21 March 2018
We carried out this announced inspection on 9 March 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
All Smiles in Finchley located in Barnet provides private dental treatment to patients of all ages.
There is access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.
Practice staffing consists of a principal dentist and one trainee dental nurse.
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.
The practice is open Tuesday and Friday 9am to 6pm.
The practice facilities include one treatment room, two decontamination rooms, reception/waiting area and staff room.
On the day of inspection we collected feedback from 15 patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.
During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist and the trainee dental nurse. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
Our key findings were:
- The practice was clean and well maintained.
- The practice 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 had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- The practice 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.
- The appointment system met patients’ needs.
- The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:
- Review the practice's environmental risk assessments and ensure a fire risk assessment is undertaken and the necessary actions implemented.