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 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

Oasis Dental Care - Melton Mowbray is located in the northeast of Leicestershire. It provides NHS treatment to children only and private treatment to patients of all ages.

The practice building does not permit level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking is not available on site, but public parking is available within short walking distance of the practice. This includes spaces for disabled badge holders.

The dental team includes three dentists, one if which is a periodontal specialist, four dental nurses, two apprentice dental nurses / receptionists, one hygiene therapist, two hygienists, three receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms, including one on the ground floor.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers 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 registered manager at Oasis Dental Care – Melton Mowbray was the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected 24 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a very positive view of the practice. We did not receive any negative feedback about the services provided.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, two dental nurses, two apprentice dental nurses/ receptionists, 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 Monday to Thursday from 8am to 7pm, Friday from 8am to 4pm and one Saturday each month from 8.30am to 11.30am.

Our key findings were:

• The practice ethos included the provision of a high standard of ongoing preventative dental care in a safe, caring and supportive environment where patients were treated with dignity and respect.
• Effective leadership was evident in most areas of the practice. We noted some areas where management arrangements could be strengthened.
• Staff had been trained to deal with emergencies and appropriate medicines and life saving equipment was readily available in accordance with current guidelines.
• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected current published guidance.
• The practice had effective processes in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children living in vulnerable circumstances.
• The practice had adopted a process for the reporting and shared learning when untoward incidents occurred in the practice.
• Clinical staff provided dental care in accordance with current professional and National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• The practice were aware of the needs of the local population and took these into account when delivering the service.
• Patients had access to treatment and urgent and emergency care when required.
• Staff received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continued professional development (CPD) by the practice.
• Staff we spoke with felt supported by the provider and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided. Information we obtained from 24 Care Quality Commission cards provided positive feedback.

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

• Ensure that all appropriate documentation is held by practice management when services such as sedation are provided by clinical professionals who do not regularly work within the practice.
• Ensure that all health and safety risks identified are promptly addressed and appropriate action taken accordingly.
• Undertake an audit of dental instruments held in stock to identify those requiring replacement.
• Consider the installation of a call bell at the practice entrance to alert staff if a patient requires help to access the practice.

We spoke with four patients who attended the surgery on the day of our inspection. They all told us that they were very pleased with the treatment they and their families had received at the surgery. They told us that the dentists had explained what treatments were available and that they had therefore made informed decisions about the treatment they chose to receive. Patients told us that they had been given information about fees for treatments before treatment had begun.

Patients told us, "My dentist is spot on a very clever man, he is excellent I would recommend this practice to anyone." Two other patients were complimentary about their care. One said, "The practice is excellent they always consult with me about my treatment, the cost and how long it will take, they are great." Another patient told us “I have been coming here for a long time, my family and children also attend, we receive consistently good care despite staff changes. The quality of diagnosis, infection control and treatment are excellent” A fourth patient we spoke with told us “The practice is very good at communication they also send out reminders and the reception staff are just so good.”

We found the practice to be compliant with the regulations we inspected against.