We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 21 February 2017 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

Oasis Dental Care Cambridge provides both private and NHS treatment to adults and children. The practice is part of Oasis Dental Care Limited, and one of 28 practices in the region. The team consists of seven dentists, four part-time hygienists, five dental nurses, two receptionists and practice manager. It is open on Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 5pm and serves about 8,000 patients.

The practice is situated in a converted residential property and has five treatment rooms and a decontamination room for sterilising dental instruments. There are two waiting areas, a reception area, manager’s office and staff room.

The practice manager is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. 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.

Our key findings were:

• Information from 23 completed Care Quality Commission comment cards gave us a positive picture of a caring, professional and high quality service.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The treatment rooms and decontamination suite were well organised and equipped, with good light and ventilation.

• The practice had systems to help ensure patient safety. These included safeguarding children and adults from abuse, maintaining the required standards of infection prevention and control, and responding to medical emergencies.

• Risk assessment was robust and action was taken to protect staff and patients.

• 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.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.

• The practice had faced some significant staffing difficulties that had affected team morale and continuity of care for patients. However new staff had recently been appointed and staff were confident that the situation would improve as a result.

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

• Review the practice’s system for the recording, investigating and reviewing incidents or significant events with a view to preventing further occurrences and, ensuring that improvements are made as a result

• Review providing the dental hygienist with the support of an appropriately trained member of the dental team at all times.

People we spoke with during our inspection on 14 February 2013 told us they were very satisfied with their care and treatment. They told us that the dentist had given them appropriate explanations and information about their treatment and that dental staff were polite and respectful.

Care records showed people had been included in decision making and that their treatment had been adequately recorded.

Staff had received safeguarding training. However, staff did not have suitable information, or awareness, of Local Authority protocols for them to appropriately report a concern of abuse, should they need to. The policies for safeguarding children and for vulnerable adults did not include the appropriate reporting arrangements that should be in place and did not refer to the Local Authority published guidelines.

We found suitable and appropriate infection control process were in place to ensure people were not exposed to the risks of cross infection and that the appropriate published guidelines had been followed.

The premises were clean and had been well maintained. We saw that there were suitable arrangements in place to reduce the risks of fire.