Updated 12 August 2021
We carried out this announced focused inspection on 13 July 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 asked the following three 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
The Vallance Dental Centre is in Manchester and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
The practice is located on the first floor of a large health centre. There is level access to the premises and lifts for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including dedicated parking for people with disabilities, are available near the practice. The practice is a foundation training practice. New graduates work in approved practices and are employed as foundation dentists and dental hygiene therapists by General Dental Practitioners who are selected and appointed as educational supervisors.
The dental team includes nine dentists (including a dentist with special interests in implants, an endodontist and two foundation dentists), nine dental nurses (two of whom are trainees), a foundation dental hygiene therapist, an operations manager and two receptionists. The practice has five treatment rooms.
The practice is owned by a company 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 The Vallance Dental Centre is the operations manager.
During the inspection we spoke with three dentists including a foundation dentist, three dental nurses, the foundation dental hygiene therapist and the operations manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.
The practice is open:
Mon, Tues, Thurs 8.35am – 8.00pm
Wed & Fri 8.35am – 5.30pm
Our key findings were:
- The practice appeared to be visibly clean, tidy 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 systems to help them identify and manage risk to patients and staff.
- 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.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect 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 where the immunity of clinical staff against vaccine preventable infectious diseases is unknown, a risk assessment is documented.