We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 22 October 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.

Background

Beechwood Smile Centre is located in the London Borough of Sutton. The practice had five treatment rooms across two floors, plus a waiting room/reception, administrative rooms, a decontamination room and toilet facility. The practice provides private and NHS treatment toboth adults and children and offers routine both examinations and treatment six days per week. The practice was open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm and from 8:30 am until 1:00pm on Saturdays.

The practice provider is a limited company run by one of the dentists at the practice. The practice manager is the registered manager. 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.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 22 October 2015 as part of our planned inspection of dental practices. The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a lead inspector and a dental specialist adviser.

18 people provided feedback about the service, and we spoke to three patients on the day of the inspection. Patients we spoke with, and those who completed comment cards, were positive about the care they received from the practice.

Our key findings were:

• Equipment was in place for staff to undertake their duties, and equipment was well maintained.
• Safe systems and processes were in place, including leads for safeguarding and infection control.
• Staff recruitment policies were in place and relevant checks were completed. New staff had been provided with a thorough induction into the practice.
• The practice had ensured that risk assessments were in place and that they were regularly reviewed.
• Patients were provided with health promotion advice to promote good oral care.
• All feedback that we received from patients was positive; they reported that it was a caring and effective service.
• Governance systems were in place at the practice including a developed system of audit.

There was one area where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review availability of interpreter services available to patients who do not speak English as a first language.

People who use Beechwood Dental Practice told us that they were satisfied with the overall quality of the service they were provided. People we spoke with were very complimentary about the standard of the care and treatment they received at the practice and told us they were particularly impressed with the positive attitude of all the staff that worked there. Typical feedback we received, included: “I am happy with the treatment I receive here” and “They all seem to be very nice people that work at this practice“.

Throughout our visit we saw that staff always spoke to patients in a respectful and friendly manner.

Patients we met told us they knew how to make a complaint if they were concerned about any aspect of the care and treatment they had received and were confident staff would always take them seriously if they had any concerns about the practice.

During a tour of the practice we viewed all 5 of its surgery rooms and the hygienist, X-ray and waiting rooms. All the areas of the practice we saw are kept hygienically clean and tidy. Patients we met told us the practice always looks clean and tidy when they visit.