Updated 15 July 2019
We carried out this announced inspection on 26 June 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 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
Deva Dental Clinic is close to the centre of Chester. The practice provides NHS and private dental care for adults and children.
There is level access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and for people with pushchairs. Car parking is available outside the practice. The provider had a portable ramp available to facilitate access to the practice for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The dental team includes a principal dentist, a dental hygienist, and a dental nurse. The dental team is supported by a practice manager who is also a dental nurse. The practice has two treatment rooms.
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.
We received feedback from 31 people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was positive.
During the inspection we spoke to the dentists, dental nurses, 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 Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Our key findings were:
- The practice was clean and well maintained.
- The practice had infection control procedures in place.
- The provider had safeguarding procedures in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Medicines and equipment were available.
- The provider had staff recruitment procedures in place.
- Staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- The dental team provided preventive care and supported patients to achieve better oral health.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
- The provider had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints. The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
- The practice had a leadership and management structure.
- The provider had systems in place to manage risk. Some risks could be reduced further.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The practice asked patients and staff for feedback about the services they provided.
There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:
- Review the practice’s systems for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the undertaking of the regulated activities. In particular, review the need for a further fixed electrical inspection to be carried out, assess the risks associated with clinicians working unsupported, review the siting of the decontamination room, ensure actual water temperatures are recorded for monitoring Legionella development, and ensure information about how to access medical assistance is easily accessible by staff should they sustain a sharps injury.
- Review the practice’s protocols and procedures for promoting the maintenance of good oral health taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health publication ‘Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention’.
- Review the practice’s protocols to ensure that ,where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and action plans, and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.