People told us that they felt safe with the dentist and that they were always involved in decisions about any treatment. Overall people told us that they were very happy with the service provided.

We carried out this announced inspection on 15 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.

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

Blandy House Dental Practice is based in Henley on Thames and provides NHS treatment to children and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs via the rear of the premises. The practice does not have space to provide parking facilities.

The dental team includes the practice manager, three dentists, two specialist orthodontists, three hygienists, four dental nurses, and one receptionist. The practice has four private treatment rooms.

The practice manager is relatively new to Blandy House and is in the process of improving existing governance arrangements. In light of this we have commented about areas that require attention whilst acknowledging these are included in the manager’s improvement plan.

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 37 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and obtained the views of 14 other patients.

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

The practice is open 8.30am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared 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 dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review its responsibilities to the needs of those with complex hearing impairments and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
• Regularly monitor and record water temperatures as part of the Legionella risk assessment taking into account guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices.