We carried out this announced inspection on 23 January 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

Eccleshall Dental Clinic is located close to Eccleshall town centre seven miles north west of Stafford. There are two services provided by two different providers at this location. This report only relates to the provision of private dental care. An additional report is available in respect of the NHS contract which is registered under the provider Eccleshall Dental Clinic.

The practice can be accessed via a portable ramp as there is one step leading into the building which limits access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. The ground floor of the practice consists of a reception area, a waiting room, an accessible patient toilet and one dental treatment room. On the first floor there is one dental treatment room, a staff room / office, staff toilet facilities and a decontamination room for the cleaning, sterilising and packing of dental instruments.

The dental team includes two dentists, five dental nurses who also cover reception duties (two of whom are trainee dental nurses), two dental hygiene therapists and a practice manager. The current dentists took over practice ownership approximately three years ago.

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 nine CQC comment cards filled in by patients and looked at patient satisfaction survey results. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, one dental nurse 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: 8.30am – 8pm

Tuesday: 8.30am – 6pm

Wednesday: 8.30am – 6pm

Thursday: 8.30am – 6pm

Friday: 8.30am – 4.30pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained with the exception of a large crack on the upstairs surgery wall and part of this surgery work top which needed resealing. The practice manager advised us that these had been logged in their maintenance book for repair.
• The practice had infection control procedures which mostly reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available with the exception of two airways which were out of date. These were immediately removed and replacements ordered.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk. There was a process in place for the reporting and shared learning when untoward incidents occurred in the practice.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children. Contact details were displayed in the staff room however the practice were not able to locate the safeguarding adult’s policy on the day of our inspection; this was sent to us the following day.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• The dentists provided dental care in accordance with current professional and National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs. Patients could access treatment and urgent and emergency care when required.
• The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided. Information from nine completed Care Quality Commission (CQC) comment cards gave us a positive picture of a friendly, professional and high quality service.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

There was an area where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review its responsibilities to the needs of people with a disability, including those with hearing difficulties and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.