We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 30 June 2015 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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.

Apex Dental Care- Gorleston on Sea is a mixed dental practice providing both NHS treatment (excluding sedation) and private treatment to patients of all ages. It is part of the Oasis Dental Care group.

The practice has a full time practice manager who is registered with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons 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 practice employs three dentists, four dental nurses and two receptionists. There is also a part-time dental hygienist who provides preventative advice and treatments on prescription from the dentists.

The practice provides services on two floors and has a reception area on the ground floor. There are three dental treatment rooms and one decontamination room for cleaning, sterilising and packing dental instruments.

We received feedback from ten patients as part of our inspection. People told us that staff were friendly and professional, and that they received good information about their oral health. Two people told us that staff made them feel relaxed, which helped them feel less nervous about their treatment. People told us that arranging appointments at a time suitable for them was easy, and that they were rarely kept waiting once they had arrived at the practice. All the people we spoke with told us they would recommend the service.

Our key findings were:

• The practice had systems to help ensure patient safety. These included safeguarding children and adults from abuse, maintaining the required standards of infection prevention and control, and responding to medical emergencies.

• Patients’ care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with evidence based guidelines, best practice and current legislation

• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and skilled staff working at the practice. Staff received training appropriate to their roles and told us they felt well supported to carry out their work.

• The practice sought feedback from staff and patients and used it to improve the service provided.

• Patients were treated in a way that they liked and information about them was treated confidentially.

• Governance systems were effective and there was a range of audits and patient surveys to monitor the quality of services

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

• Review the practice’s arrangements for the manual cleaning of instruments; the storage of uncovered items in treatment room drawers, the monitoring of autoclave cycles and the sterilisation of new matrix bands.

• Ensure that staff have knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act relevant to dental practice and how this might affect their care of patients who might not able to give consent.