We carried out this announced inspection on 5 December 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 and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. They did not provide any information of concern.

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

Anne Davidson & Associates Dental Practice is in Gateshead and provides NHS treatment to children and private treatment to adults.

The practice is located on the first floor and there is a stair lift to assist patients with restricted mobility. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes one dentist, four dental nurses, one dental hygienist, one dental hygiene therapist and a practice manager. The practice has two 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.

On the day of inspection we collected 50 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with one other patient. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with the dentist, one dental nurse 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 from 9:00am to 6:30pm

Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00am to 5:30pm

Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm

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.

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

• Review the practice’s arrangements for electrical safety testing.
• Review the sharps risk assessment giving due regard to the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.

We spoke with three people who used the service. All of the people we spoke with told us they were happy with the service they received.

People told us that they understood the care and treatment choices available to them. One person said, “The dentist is very clear, everything is always explained and it’s straightforward.” Another person said, “I’m happy with the service. I’m coming back next week and I know what treatment I’m going to get.”

All of the people we spoke with told us they were happy with the treatment they had received. One person told us, “The staff are helpful and I can usually get an appointment quickly.