Dentistry@OceanaBoulevard

We carried out this announced comprehensive inspection on 19 January 2023 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 practice 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 advisor.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following 5 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:

• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system worked efficiently to respond to patients’ needs.
• The frequency of appointments was agreed between the dentist and the patient, giving due regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• Staff and patients were asked for feedback about the services provided.
• Complaints were dealt with positively and efficiently.
• The practice had information governance arrangements.
• The dental clinic appeared clean.
• Staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. Improvements were required to ensure accurate safeguarding processes were in place.
• The practice did not have staff recruitment procedures which reflected current legislation
• Improvements were needed to ensure that clinical staff kept up to date with current guidelines, and information related to patient care was suitably recorded within the dental care records
• Improvements were needed to protect patients’ privacy within the treatment rooms
• There were ineffective systems to support continuous improvement
• There was ineffective leadership and a lack of oversight for the day-to-day management of the service.
• There were ineffective systems to ensure facilities were safe and equipment was serviced and maintained according to manufacturers` guidance.
• Staff generally worked as a team. Improvements were needed to ensure that they were supported and involved in the delivery of care and treatment

Background

Dentistry@OceanBoulevard is in Southampton and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is step free access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for disabled people, are available near the practice. The practice has made reasonable adjustments to support patients with access requirements.

The dental team includes 2 dentists, 2 dental nurses, 1 dental therapist, 1 practice manager and 2 receptionists. The practice has 3 treatment rooms.

During the inspection we spoke with all the members of staff. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records to assess how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 6pm

Friday 8.30am to 4pm

One Saturday per month 10am to 4pm

We noted innovative approaches to providing person centred care. We noted that the practice had invested in modern intra-oral scanning technology which can improve patient experience and outcomes. We also noted that the principal dentist used a microscope for some procedures.

We identified regulations the provider was not complying with. They must:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients
• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care
• Ensure recruitment procedures are established and operated effectively to ensure only fit and proper persons are employed
• Ensure specified information is available regarding each person employed.

Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are at the end of this report.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Take action to ensure that each patient’s privacy is maintained at all times including when they receive treatment
• Review the necessity of a second oxygen cylinder where appropriate for the practice's circumstances.