We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 22 July 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

The practice provides mainly private treatment to patients of all ages but also offers private dental treatments to patients in the Guiseley area and beyond.

The dental practice has treatment rooms on the ground and first floor. There are two waiting areas, a reception area, two decontamination rooms, staff room/kitchen and office area. There are accessible toilet facilities on the ground floor of the premises. There is public parking available adjacent to the practice.

The practice has six dentists, three dental hygienists and four dental nurses; one trainee dental nurse a practice manager and four receptionists. They are also supported by area, regional and clinical support managers.

The practice is open Monday 9am to 7pm, Tuesday, Thursday 8:30am to 7pm, Wednesday 8:30am-5:30pm, Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm and Saturday 9am-12pm.

The practice manager is in the process of registering as an Registered Manager  with the CQC. 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 manager is in the process of registering as the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’.

Before the inspection we sent CQC comment cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience of the practice. We received feedback from 30 patientswhich all gave positive comments about the care and treatment received at the practice. The patients who provided feedback were very positive about the care and attention to treatment they received at the practice. They told us they could access emergency care easily and staff were sensitive to their needs and were particularly good if they were nervous or anxious about treatment.

Our key findings were:

• Staff had received safeguarding training, knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to report it. They had very good systems in place to work closely and share information with the local safeguarding team.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Staff were qualified and had received training appropriate to their roles.
• Treatment was provided in line with current best practice guidelines including the Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
• Oral health advice and treatment were provided in-line with the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ toolkit (DBOH).
• The practice had systems to assess and manage risks to patients, including infection prevention and control and health and safety.
• Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• We observed that patients were treated with kindness and respect by staff. Staff ensured there was sufficient time to explain fully the care and treatment they were providing in a way patients understood.
• Patients were able to make routine and emergency appointments when needed. The practice had a complaints system in place and there was an openness and transparency in how these were dealt with.

There were clearly defined leadership roles within the practice and staff told us that they felt supported, appreciated and comfortable to raise concerns or make suggestions.

During the visit we had the opportunity to speak with two people who used the service. They told us they were satisfied with the care and treatment provided.

Their comments included: "they treat me with respect here and the dentist gives me a choice", "staff are excellent here, they explain everything fully" and “this is the best dentist I have ever had, 1st class, no concerns at all."

We saw people were involved in the planning of their care and treatment and were given appropriate information on their treatment options.

We found the provider had taken steps which ensured the care and welfare of people who used the service. There were arrangements in place to deal with medical emergencies.

We found the provider had suitable infection prevention and control protocols in place and staff had a good understanding of decontamination procedures.

We saw evidence there was an appropriate system in place for listening to and acting on people’s comments and concerns.