We carried out this announced inspection on 18 April 2019 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

Dental Centre Of Excellence is in Redditch and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including spaces for blue badge holders, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes five dentists including a foundation dentist, three dental nurses including two trainee nurses and a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection, we collected 15 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with two patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, three dental nurses 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 to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Our key findings were:

• Effective leadership was provided by the principal dentist. Staff felt supported by the principal dentist and practice manager and were committed to providing a high-quality service to their patients.
• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance. The decontamination room had been thoughtfully designed to include colour coded cabinetry to signify the demarcation lines between clean and dirty areas.
• 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 provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• The provider relocated to these premises in 2013 to expand and enhance the facilities for all patients including those with disabilities. The services were on the ground floor and were fully wheelchair accessible.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information. There was a dedicated privacy room next to the waiting room for patients that wished to discuss topics of a sensitive nature.
• Staff were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs. Patients could access treatment and urgent and emergency care when required.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement. Training and development were at the forefront in this practice due to the principal dentist being a verified trainer who supported newly qualified foundation dentists.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.