We carried out this announced inspection on 9 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.

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Background

Dental Studios is in Borehamwood and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice does not have disabled toilet facilities. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes six dentists, five dental nurses, five dental hygienists, a receptionist and two practice managers. The practice has three treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. 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 61 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, one receptionist and the two practice managers. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday: 8.30am to 8pm

Tuesday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Wednesday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Thursday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Friday: 8.30am to 5pm

Saturday 9am to 1pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• 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. We noted that there was scope to improve risk management.
• The practice staff had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had mostly 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 culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice staff dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice staff had suitable information governance arrangements.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review the practice's Legionella risk assessment and implement any recommended actions, taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance.’

• Review the practice’s protocols to ensure audits of radiography and infection prevention and control are undertaken at regular intervals to improve the quality of the service. The Practice should also ensure that, where appropriate, audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.

We found Dental Studios to be a clean and well presented practice. The staff were polite and friendly and spent time with patients.

Treatment was carried out in an appropriate way to ensure the care and welfare of those who used the service was carried out by a professional staff team. Appropriate treatment records are kept. Provision was made for those with access problems and where English was not the first language.

Patients commented that they felt safe at the practice and that the staff were 'friendly' and that the 'dentist and staff communicate clearly'. They found the practice 'very clean, especially since the refurbishment'.