We carried out this announced inspection on 15 May 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 - Woodbines Avenue is in London Borough of Kingston and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access via a ramp for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice has its own on-site car park.

The dental team includes four dentists, five dental nurses, two dental hygienists, two receptionists and one practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.

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 was the practice manager.

On the day of inspection, we received feedback from 13 patients.

During the inspection, we spoke with three dentists, two dental nurses, two receptionists and a practice manager. We looked at practice policies, procedures, and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

• Monday and Wednesday 8:00am to 7.00pm
• Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8.00am to 5:00pm
• Saturday 9:00am to 3:00pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures that 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.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• 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 practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved, supported, and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice had suitable information governance arrangements.

We spoke with three people who use the service, one receptionist, two dental nurses and two dentists during this inspection.

People told us that they were "more than happy with the service" and said "the dentist checks our teeth and explains about the importance of good teeth cleaning". "We were referred to an orthodontist" and "the dentist gets relevant information from the orthodontist". "It's always clean" and "the place is kept clean and tidy". People said staff respected their privacy and conversations were carried out in the consultation rooms rather than at reception.

Staff were happy to be working at the surgery. They told us they had the necessary checks before they started work and had the training and support they needed to do their job. Staff said "we see patients quickly", "we explain the necessary information well to patients" and "we are good at identifying and referring issues on to appropriate specialists".

We saw reception staff welcomed people and made sure health information was updated before they saw the dentist. The treatment rooms, decontamination room and reception area were clean and tidy. The dentists took time to speak with people about what was being done and what they needed to do to maintain their oral hygiene.