We carried out this announced inspection on 12 May 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 Care Quality Commission inspector who was supported by a specialist dental adviser.

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

Bellegrove Dental Surgery is located in Welling, in the London Borough of Bexley. It provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including for patients with disabled badges, are available in the practice’s car park at the rear of premises.

The dental team includes five dentists, seven dental nurses (two of whom are completing dental nursing training), a receptionist, a clinical manager, a practice manager, and an administrative/human resources manager. The practice has three 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 feedback from 37 Care Quality Commission comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

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

The practice is open from 8.30am to 5pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 8.30am to 8pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 8.30am to 1pm on Saturdays.

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 and was proactive at engaging with the local community. 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.

People who use the service understood the care and treatment choices available to them. People told us that they were provided with clear information about treatment options and the cost of treatments that enabled them to make informed decisions. They told us that staff were “always approachable”.

People told us that the dentist listened to them and talked through the various treatment options. They said that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that they were comfortable with. A person told us that “it was up to them to make a choice of treatment”. Another person said “service is pretty good”. They told us that the staff were polite and that appointments were flexible to meet their needs.

People told us that they found the surgery to be clean and appropriately maintained. One person told us that “it was always nice and clean”.

Decisions about care and treatment were made by professional staff at the appropriate level. A person told us that “they do ask me if everything is satisfactory” another person said that “they have confidence in staff and cannot ask for more”.