We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 18 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.

Beaconsfield Dental Practice provides a wide range of dental treatments on a private basis for patients of all ages. A small contract for the provision of NHS dental care to patients under the age of 18 is in place. The practice was open from 8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday each week with appointments available from 8:30am to 1pm and from 2pm to 4:45 pm. The provider, Mr Jeffery Barlow shared the practice facilities with another dentist who was separately registered with CQC. Staff and facilities were shared and patients could register with either of the dentists.

Mr Jeffery Barlow is registered as an individual and has legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

Twelve patients provided feedback about the service. All of the comments we received from CQC comment cards completed in the two weeks prior to inspection were positive. Patients told us they were pleased with the service they received and were given information they understood in regards to their treatment and treatment options. They also told us that the dentist and staff were professional, polite and helpful and they were treated with respect, care and compassion.

Our key findings were:

• Patients who completed comment cards told us they were treated with care and staff were professional and friendly. We observed positive interaction between staff and patients during the inspection.
• Patients were able to access both routine and emergency appointments and there were clear instructions on how to access out of hours emergency dental treatment.
• Staff were supported in receiving training appropriate to their role and to keep up to date with developments and best practice in dental care.
• Care and treatment was based on thorough examinations and patients told us they understood their care and treatment and received treatment plans upon which to base their decisions to proceed with, or decline, treatment.

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

• Ensure materials used for treatments that are rarely undertaken are checked and are within expiry date.

Six people who used the service told us that “they were provided with information about the treatment and the cost of the various treatments.” People said that they were “very satisfied with the service provided by the dentist and staff.”

People told us that they were able to ask questions about their treatment. If they were unsure of any information they were given, the dentist would go over it with them.

People said prior to having treatment the dentist made them aware of how much it would cost. They said that they were asked to complete a medical questionnaire. At each visit the dentist would verbally ask them if there were changes to their medical condition.

People told us that “the practice was comfortable and accommodating. Appointments were flexible to meet their needs.” One person said “staff always try to fit you in.” A second person said “I phoned the surgery this morning and I was able to get an appointment.”

People told us that they had confidence in the care and treatment they were receiving from the dentist. They said that the practice was “very clean and tidy.”