We carried out this announced inspection on 16 August 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 Leominster is located in Leominster, there are two services provided by two different providers at this location. This report only relates to the provision of NHS dental care. An additional report is available in respect of the private contract which is registered under the provider Church Street Leominster Partnership.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. The ground floor of the practice consists of a reception area, a waiting room, a patient toilet, four dental treatment rooms and a decontamination room for the cleaning, sterilising and packing of dental instruments. On the first floor there is a staff room/practice managers office and staff toilet facilities, the second floor is used for storage. Car parking spaces, including some spaces for patients with disabled badges, are available in pay and display car parks near the practice. There is also free parking available in the streets surrounding the practice.

The dental team includes four dentists, six dental nurses, one trainee dental nurse, two dental hygienists, two receptionists and a practice manager.

The practice is owned by a corporate 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 - Leominster is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected 20 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, three dental nurses, two receptionists 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 9am - 5pm

Tuesday 9am - 5pm

Wednesday 9am - 7pm

Thursday 9am - 5pm

Friday 9am - 5pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained. An employed cleaner was responsible for the day to day cleaning.
• 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. Staff reported incidents and kept records of these which the practice used for shared learning.
• The practice had a safeguarding lead with effective processes in place for safeguarding adults and children living in vulnerable circumstances.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures and were supported by a HR department in their support centre.
• 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 regularly monitored the appointment system.
• Strong and effective leadership was provided by the dentists and an empowered practice manager. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided. Patient feedback was displayed in the waiting room.
• The practice had received no complaints in the past 12 months although they had thorough processes to deal with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The service was aware of the needs of the local population and took these into account in how the practice was run.