Archived: The Heaton Mersey Dental Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 7 March 2016 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

Heaton Mersey Dental Practice provides predominantly (92%) NHS treatment and some (8%) private treatments. The practice caters for both adults and children and has a principal and three associate dentists, a part time dental hygienist, five qualified dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse and six receptionists. The practice is situated in a large converted residential property with three dental treatment rooms, a separate decontamination room for cleaning, sterilising and packing dental instruments, a reception and two waiting areas. Treatment rooms and waiting rooms are located on the ground and first floors.

The practice opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 5.30pm and Friday 9am to 4pm.

The practice owner (principal dentist) 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.

We received positive feedback about the service from 28 patients. They were complimentary about the friendly and caring attitude of the staff.

Our key findings were:

• The practice had safeguarding processes and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.

• The practice had an automated external defibrillator (AED) and medical oxygen available on the premises.

• The provider had emergency medicines in line with the British National Formulary (BNF) guidance for medical emergencies in dental practice.

• Patients indicated that they felt they were listened to and that they received good care from a helpful and caring team.

• The practice ensured staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.

• There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. We found the treatment rooms and equipment were visibly clean.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with best practice guidance, such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

• Equipment, such as the autoclave (steriliser), fire extinguishers, oxygen cylinder and X-ray equipment had all been checked for effectiveness and had been regularly serviced.

• The practice ensured staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.

• Staff were well supported and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.

• Patients were able to access both routine and emergency appointments and there were clear instructions on how to access out of hours emergency dental treatment.

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

• Review records relating to the recruitment of staff. Maintain accurate, complete and detailed records relating to employment of staff. This includes making appropriate notes of verbal references taken and ensuring recruitment checks, including references, are suitably obtained and recorded.
• Review how the practice implements the required actions identified in the Legionella risk assessment giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum  01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’.