We carried out this announced inspection on 5 March 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

Diss Dental Care Centre is a well-established practice that provides private treatment to approximately 1400 patients. The dental team includes one dentist, two part-time hygienists and three dental nurses. There are two treatment rooms.

There is no accessibility for wheelchair users.

The practice opens on Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 am to 5 pm.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist. He has 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 received feedback from 41 patients. We spoke with the dentist and two nurses.

We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

Our key findings were:

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

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

• 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.

• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.

• Patients received their care and treatment from well supported staff, who enjoyed their work.

• Members of the dental team were up-to-date with their continuing professional development and were supported to meet the requirements of their professional registration.

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

• Review the practice's protocols for monitoring and recording the fridge temperature to ensure that medicines and dental care products are being stored in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.

• Review fire safety and ensure that evacuations are rehearsed, oxygen cylinders are signposted and fixed wiring testing is undertaken.

• Review practice's recruitment procedures to ensure that appropriate background checks are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.

During our inspection we spoke with three people attending dental appointments. With their permission we accompanied two people during their consultation and treatment. People were positive about the quality of the service they received. One person told us that they had been visiting the service, "For longer than I can remember." Another person described the service as, "Brilliant."

We saw that staff treated people in a friendly, respectful and courteous manner. One person told us, "I like coming here it is like a social call."

We observed that the reception and clinical areas were clean and tidy.