We spoke with three people who used the service. They told us they were asked for consent prior to any treatment being carried out and were asked to sign a consent form regarding the treatment given. They also told us they were happy with the service provided. Comments included: “I’m absolutely happy coming here. The equipment they use is very modern and very hi-tech” and “I’ve only ever had one appointment cancelled but I was very happy with the way it was dealt with by the service.”

We saw that protective clothing such as gloves and eye protection was worn by staff and patients. Discussions with patients confirmed they were asked to wear protective equipment during treatment. All of the patients we spoke with told us they were treated in a clean, hygienic environment.

Staff spoken with told us they felt supported by the management team. We saw that each staff member had a professional development portfolio which contained certificates to verify that all staff had completed recent training courses relevant to their role such as first aid, safeguarding, and infection control. We saw that training was up-to-date and refreshed regularly in all core areas of training.

We found that there had been no recent complaints made to the service. There were processes in place for staff follow should any complaints be made and to the complainants satisfaction where possible.

We carried out this announced inspection on 27 February 2019 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 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

Abbey Dental Practice is located in a retail outlet centre near Northwich and provides NHS and private dental care for adults and children.

There is level access to facilitate entrance to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and for people with pushchairs. Car parking is available outside the practice.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, two associate dentists, a dental hygiene therapist, a dental hygienist, six dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, and two receptionists. The practice has three treatment rooms.

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.

We received feedback from 24 people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was positive.

During the inspection we spoke to two dentists, the dental hygiene therapist, dental nurses, and receptionists. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday 9.00am to 7.30pm

Tuesday 8.40am to 5.30pm

Wednesday and Thursday 9.00am to 5.30pm

Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm

Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures in place which took account of published guidance.
• The provider had safeguarding procedures in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and equipment were available.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures in place.
• Staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• The dental team provided preventive care and supported patients to achieve better oral health.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints. The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice had a leadership and management structure.
• The provider had systems in place to identify and manage risk. Some risks had not been sufficiently reduced.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked patients and staff for feedback about the services they provided.

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

• Review the practice’s systems for assessing, monitoring and mitigating the various risks arising from the undertaking of the regulated activities. In particular, ensure action taken as a result of an accident is recorded, ensure Disclosure and Barring Service checks are carried out at an appropriate time, and ensure checks on medical emergency medicines and equipment are carried out at the recommended time intervals.
• Review the practice’s protocols to ensure audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.