Archived: Bupa Dental Centre - Sheffield

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 3 November 2015 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Bupa Dental Care - Sheffield is situated in Sheffield city centre. It offers private dental treatment to patients of all ages. The services provided include routine and advanced restorative dental care, preventative advice and treatment, orthodontics and specialist periodontal treatment.

The practice has three surgeries, a decontamination room, two waiting areas and a reception area. On the ground floor of the premises there is one surgery, the reception area, a waiting area and disabled toilet facilities. On the first floor of the premises there are two surgeries, a relaxation room and another waiting area. There is step free access to the ground floor of the premises.

There are four dentists, three dental nurses (who also cover reception duties), a dedicated dental nurse, a dental hygienist and a practice manager.

The opening hours are Monday 9-00am to 7-30pm, Tuesday to Thursday 9-00am to 5-00pm and Friday 8-00am to 5-30pm.

The practice manager is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection eight patients provided feedback. The patients were positive about the care and treatment they received at the practice. They told us they were treated with dignity and respect, informed of treatment options including costs and were made to feel comfortable and relaxed.

Our key findings were:

• The practice had systems in place to assess and manage risks to patients and staff including infection prevention and control, health and safety and the management of medical emergencies.
• Staff received training appropriate to their roles.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Oral health advice and treatment were provided in-line with the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ toolkit.
• Patients were treated with care, respect and dignity.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• There were clearly defined leadership roles within the practice and staff told us that they felt supported, appreciated and comfortable to raise concerns or make suggestions. Staff received training appropriate to their roles.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Aim to record the daily automatic control test for the autoclaves.
• Have a safeguarding lead in the practice.
• Aim to document discussions about treatment options in the dental care records.
• Aim to conduct staff appraisals on an annual basis.