We carried out this announced inspection on 10 October 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.

We told the NHS England area team that we were inspecting the practice. We did not receive any information of concern from them.

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

Absolute Dental - Prestwich is in Manchester and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. The practice has a car park including spaces for patients with disabled badges, with additional on-street parking near the practice.

The dental team includes five dentists, 12 dental nurses (six of whom were trainees), two dental hygienists, and a practice manager. The practice has five treatment rooms and an oral health education room.

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 67 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, three dental nurses and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday and Wednesday 09:00 to 18:00

Tuesday and Thursday 09:00 to 17:30

Friday 08:00 to 17:00

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.
• The practice demonstrated a proactive approach to promoting oral health.
• 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.

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

• Review the practice’s arrangements for receiving and responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and through the Central Alerting System (CAS), as well as from other relevant bodies such as, Public Health England (PHE).

• Review availability of medicines to manage medical emergencies giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK), and the General Dental Council (GDC) standards for the dental team. Review the storage of dental care products and medicines requiring refrigeration to ensure they are stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance and the fridge temperature is monitored and recorded.

• Review processes to ensure there are systems in place to monitor and track the use of NHS prescriptions.

• Review its audit protocols to document learning points that are shared with all relevant staff and ensure that the resulting improvements can be demonstrated as part of the audit process.

• Review the availability of an interpreter service for patients who do not speak English as their first language.

During the visit, we spoke with two people who use the service. They told us they were asked for written consent for treatment prior to receiving any treatment.

The people we spoke with told us they were very happy with the services provided. They told us they never had any problems getting an appointment and were made to feel comfortable during their treatment.

The people we spoke with told us the dental practice was clean and tidy and they had never had any concerns about the cleanliness of the premises or the dental equipment and instruments.

The people we spoke with told us the dental staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. The people we spoke with told us that they had no concerns about the service they received and would speak to the Practice Manager if they had any concerns or complaints.