Archived: Shard End Dental Practice

Updated 24 February 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the practice was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This inspection took place on 17 January 2017 and was led by a CQC inspector and supported by a specialist dental advisor. Prior to the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the provider. We informed NHS England area team that we were inspecting the practice and we did not receive any information of concern from them. We asked the practice to send us some information that we reviewed. This included the complaints they had received in the last 12 months, their latest statement of purpose, and the details of their staff members including proof of registration with their professional bodies.

During our inspection we toured the premises; we reviewed policy documents and staff records and spoke with five members of staff. We looked at the storage arrangements for emergency medicines and equipment. We were shown the decontamination procedures for dental instruments and the computer system that supported the dental care records.

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 therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 24 February 2017

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 17 January 2017 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

Shard End Dental Practice has three dentists (the principal, an associate and a foundation dentist), three qualified dental nurses who are registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), two trainee dental nurses and a receptionist. The practice’s opening hours are 8.30am to 5pm on Monday to Thursday and 8am to 4pm on Friday. The practice closes for lunch each day between the hours of 1pm to 2pm.

Shard End Dental Practice provides mainly NHS dental treatments to patients of all ages but also offers private treatment options. The practice has three dental treatment rooms on the ground floor. Sterilisation and packing of dental instruments takes place in a separate decontamination room. There is a reception with adjoining waiting area on the ground floor.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comments cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience of the practice. We received comments from 62 patients by way of these comment cards and during the inspection we spoke with two patients.

Our key findings were

• Systems were in place for the recording and learning from significant events and accidents.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect.
• The practice was visibly clean and well maintained.
• Infection control procedures were in place with infection prevention and control audits being undertaken recently. Staff had access to personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties.
• Oral health advice and treatment were provided in-line with the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ toolkit (DBOH).
• Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies and the provider had emergency equipment in line with the Resuscitation Council (UK) guidelines.
• Local rules were available in all of the treatment rooms were X-ray machines were located and these had been reviewed in January 2017. Records were not available to demonstrate that mechanical and electrical testing of X-ray equipment had been completed on an annual basis.
• The appointment system met the needs of patients and waiting times were kept to a minimum.
• The governance systems were effective.
• The practice was well-led and there were clearly defined leadership roles within the practice. Staff told us they felt supported, involved and they all worked as a team.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should

• Review the practice’s procedures for the cleaning and sterilising of dental equipment to ensure suitable procedures are adopted which reduce the risk of splashing contaminated material when dental equipment is rinsed.

• Review the systems in place to ensure that all dental X-ray equipment receives the necessary service and maintenance so that the practice is in compliance with its legal obligations under Ionising Radiation Regulations (IRR) 99 and Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulation (IRMER) 2000.

• Review the practice’s responsibilities to the needs of people with a disability and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and ensure a Disability Discrimination Act audit is undertaken for the premises.