CFE Dental

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 16 February 2023 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 practice was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations.

The inspection was led by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector who was supported by a specialist dental advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 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:

• Safeguarding processes were in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
• Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Staff took care to protect patients’ privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The dental clinic appeared clean and well-maintained.
• Improvements were needed to ensure infection prevention and control protocols were in accordance with national guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Most medicines and life-saving equipment were available. Improvements could be made to the monitoring protocol to ensure all equipment was available and in date.
• Improvements were needed to the systems used to help the provider manage risks to patients and staff. In particular relating to medicines management, fire safety and Legionella.
• There was effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.

Background

CFE Dental is in North Shields in Tyne And Wear and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice is located close to local transport routes and car parking spaces are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 1 dentist, 1 dental nurse/practice manager/receptionist. The practice has 1 treatment room.

During the inspection we spoke with the dentist and the dental nurse/practice manager/receptionist. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8am to 5pm

Wednesday from 8am to 4.30pm

Friday from 8am to 11.30am

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

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

• Implement practice protocols and procedures to ensure staff are up to date with their mandatory training and their continuing professional development.