We carried out this announced inspection on 24 July 2018 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

Bupa Dental Care Brandon is a well-established dental practice which provides both private and NHS treatment to adults and children. The dental team includes two dentists, two dental nurses and two receptionists. The practice has three treatment rooms and serves about 1700 patients.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs. The practice does not have its own parking facilities, but there is free parking nearby.

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 the practice is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 8 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two patients. We spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, and reception staff. One of the provider’s area managers and a clinical lead were also on site. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Thursday, and Fridays from 8.30am to 5pm.

Our key findings were:

• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.

• The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.

• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.

• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current best practice guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and other published guidance.

• Members of the dental team were up-to-date with their continuing professional development and supported to meet the requirements of their professional registration.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice staff dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice staff had suitable information governance arrangements
• The practice did not provide a portable hearing loop to assist patients who wore hearing aids.

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

• Review their responsibilities to meet the needs of people with a disability, including those with hearing difficulties and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

We found that dental care was provided according to people's assessed needs and people were informed of their treatment choices. We saw that the waiting area was welcoming and had a range of information about dental care and oral hygiene.

We spoke with staff who told us about the quality checking and safety measures at the service to ensure a high quality and safe service. We saw that the service had effective audit systems to monitor cleanliness and infection control. We found that staff were trained appropriately and had the skills required to provide effective and safe care.

We spoke with three people to find out what it was like attending the service. People told us they were happy with the service. One person told us that, “Everything was fully explained and I was given good advice.” We saw satisfaction surveys in which people had provided positive comments about the service.