Updated 6 July 2021
We carried out this announced inspection on 16 June 2021 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 Care Quality Commission, (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 well-led?
These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.
Our findings were:
Are services safe?
We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services effective?
We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Are services well-led?
We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Background
Kings Road Dental Practice is in Brislington, Bristol and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs via the back of the property. There are no specific patient car parking spaces at the practice. However, there is parking available nearby the practice.
The dental team includes four dentists, one qualified dental nurse, three trainee dental nurses, two receptionists, a human resources manager and a business manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the CQC 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 Kings Road Dental Practice is the senior partner.
During the inspection we spoke with two dentists including the senior partner, one dental nurse and two receptionists. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
- Monday 8:30am to 5pm
- Tuesday 8:30am to 6pm
- Wednesday 8:30am to 5pm
- Thursday 8:30am to 5pm
- Friday 8:30am to 2:30pm
- Monday to Thursday the practice is closed from 1pm to 2pm.
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared to be visibly clean and well-maintained.
- The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
- Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- The provider had some systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff. There some areas, which should be improved including; introducing a central system for monitoring staff training, recording learning from all audits carried out, implementing practice procedures for following the Duty of Candour and ensuring all emergency equipment was included within the checking system.
- The provider had safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
- The provider had staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation.
- The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- The provider had information governance arrangements and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
- The provider had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked as a team.
- The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Take action to ensure that all clinical staff have adequate immunity for vaccine preventable infectious diseases.
- Develop systems to ensure an effective process is established for the on-going assessment of all staff training that is completed at appropriate intervals and levels.
- Improve the practice's systems for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the undertaking of the regulated activities. In particular; ensuring there is learning from audits, there are practice procedures for following the Duty of Candour and ensuring checks are recorded for emergency lighting.