We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 18 August 2016 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

Blue Light Dental Clinic located in Hornsey provides private dental treatment to patients of all ages.

Practice staffing consists of the principal dentist, one dental nurse/receptionist and an implantologist.

The principal dentist is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual registered person. 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 is open Monday 9am to 5pm, Tuesday 9.30am to 7pm, Wednesday 9am to 5pm, Thursday 9.30am to 7pm, Friday 9.30am to 7pm and Saturdays 9am to 3pm.

The practice facilities include one treatment room, a reception and waiting area, decontamination room and small office area.

27 patients provided feedback about the service. Patients we spoke with and those who completed comment cards were very positive about the care they received about the service. Patients told us that they were happy with the treatment and advice they had received.

Our key findings were:

• Equipment, such as the autoclaves, fire extinguishers, and X-ray equipment had all been checked for effectiveness and had been regularly serviced.
• Staff had received safeguarding children and adults training and knew the processes to follow to raise any concerns. The practice had whistleblowing policies and procedure and staff were aware of these and their responsibilities to report any concerns.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and confidentiality was maintained.
• Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• The practice had a procedure for handling and responding to complaints, which were displayed and available to patients.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with current guidance such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
• Staff had been trained to handle medical emergencies, and appropriate medicines and oxygen were readily available
• There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Dental instruments were cleaned and sterilised in line with current guidance.
• Governance systems were effective and there were a range of policies and procedures in place which underpinned the management of the practice.
• The practice sought feedback from patients about the services they provided and acted on this to improve its services.

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

• Review the practice's protocols for completion of dental care records taking into account guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping.

The practice staff were friendly, welcoming and informative. The practice was clean and well maintained.

There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk of infection. The decontamination took place in a separate decontamination room. The dental nurse was able to describe the decontamination process to us and provide evidence to show that the correct checks were carried out on the decontamination equipment.

We spoke to one patient who told us the staff were helpful and listened to you. Their treatment options were explained to them. They said they understood the costs and were aware that the treatment was being provided on a private basis.

We looked at feedback from the practice website which had the following comment “I have been many times to the practice and am very happy with the treatment I have received I have recommended the practice to my family”.

We saw evidence that patients had consented to treatment and the staff were well trained and caring.