We carried out this announced inspection on Tuesday 23 May 2017 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 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

Carshalton Park Dental practice is in Carshalton, Sutton and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

Car parking spaces were available on surrounding streets near the practice and local transport links were close by. The practice was not wheel chair accessible however the practice had details of other local practices.

The dental team includes three dentists, one dental nurse, two trainee dental nurses, a hygienist and two receptionists. The practice has three treatment rooms and separate decontamination room, waiting room and a reception area.

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.

On the day of inspection we collected 33 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, the dental nurse and one of the receptionists. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm.the practice closed for lunch from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• 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.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

On the day of the inspection we spoke with four people who used the service. They told us the staff were helpful and they were usually seen punctually at their appointment time. They said that the costs and possible treatment options were fully explained to them at their appointments. One person told us, ” I am very happy with my treatment here. You are never taken for a ride or told to have unnecessary work.” Another commented “I have been coming here for a long time, they are thorough and they are good with the whole family.”

We looked at some of the surgery records. We saw people had treatment plans which took into account their relevant medical history, explained the costs and recorded their treatment needs, options and advice.

We saw that the practice had clear infection control systems in place. All areas of the practice were visibly clean with suitable flooring and surfaces in place to reduce the risk of infection. People told us they felt the practice treatment rooms were clean. They said they felt confident in the dental care provided and some had recommended it to their family or friends.

We spoke with staff and looked at staff records and saw that staff had regular training. We looked at other practice records and found that the provider undertook regular clinical and infection control audits to monitor and review the quality and safety of the service provided.