We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 16 February 2017 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

Eclipse (Batley) Limited is situated in Batley town centre, West Yorkshire. The practice provides dental treatment to adults and children on an NHS or privately funded basis. The services include preventative advice and treatment, routine restorative dental care and orthodontics. Orthodontics is only offered on a privately funded basis.

The practice has six surgeries, a sterilisation room, two waiting areas and a reception area. There are three surgeries, the reception area, a waiting area, an accessible toilet and an X-ray room on the ground floor. The other three surgeries and the sterilisation room are on the first floor of the premises. There are staff facilities including a seminar room on the first floor.

There are eight dentists (including two foundation dentists), two dental hygiene therapists, two dental hygienists, eight dental nurses (two of whom are trainees), four receptionists and a practice manager.

The opening hours are Monday from 7:45am to 5:30pm, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:45am to 6:30pm, Thursday from 8:45am to 5:30pm, Friday from 8:45am to 3:00pm and Saturday from 8:45am to 12:30pm.

One of the principal dentists is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

During the inspection we received feedback from 50 patients. The patients were positive about the care and treatment they received at the practice. Comments included staff were polite, friendly and caring. They also commented the dentists explained treatments well, they were provided with good advice on oral hygiene and the environment was comfortable and clean.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was visibly clean and uncluttered.
• The practice had systems in place to assess and manage risks to patients and staff including health and safety and the management of medical emergencies.
• Staff were qualified and had received training appropriate to their roles.
• Patients were involved in making decisions about their treatment and were given clear explanations about their proposed treatment including costs, benefits and risks.
• Dental care records showed treatment was planned in line with current best practice guidelines.
• Oral health advice and treatment were provided in-line with the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ toolkit (DBOH).
• We observed patients were treated with kindness and respect by staff.
• Staff ensured there was sufficient time to explain fully the care and treatment they were providing in a way patients understood.
• The practice had a complaints system in place and there was an openness and transparency in how these were dealt with.
• Patients were able to make routine and emergency appointments when needed.
• The governance systems were effective.
• There were clearly defined leadership roles within the practice and staff told us they felt supported, appreciated and comfortable to raise concerns or make suggestions.

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

• Review the security of prescription pads in the practice.
• Review the practice’s sharps procedures giving due regard to the Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013.
• Review the local rules to ensure they reflect the recommendations made in the critical examination reports and the fact two surgeries have dual entrances.