We carried out this announced inspection on 17 January 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

Gateway Dental Practice is in Burgess Hill, Sussex and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is access via a ramp for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Parking spaces for blue badge holders are available outside of the practice which is close to local car parks.

The dental team includes the principal dentist, five associate dentists, two dental hygienists, two trainee dental nurses, one receptionist, a practice manager and a practice administrator. 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 40 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

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

The practice is open:

• Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.30pm

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.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had 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.
• Staff were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership and a 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.

We identified areas of notable practice:

• The practice visited all primary schools and some secondary schools in the area on an annual basis as well as attended school Christmas Fayres. These visits provided a fun and informative way for children to learn about their oral health as well as how to take care of and clean their teeth. The practice used models, role play and giant tooth brushes as means of presenting the information in an accessible way for children. Children received ‘goody bags’ and child tailored information developed by the practice on the ‘Gateway Dental Gang’ including songs to sing to encourage younger children to brush their teeth.
• The practice was involved in designing the local health authority’s public health campaign on oral health.
• In support of Mouth Cancer Action Month, the practice initiated contact with the local radio station and was interviewed to campaign for oral cancer awareness and to inform the public of preventative measures. The practice also had specific information within the practice but felt it was important to share that information more broadly and aimed to reach a wider audience through the use of local radio.
• To further enhance their proactive approach to preventative care the practice visited local sports centres and clubs to educate young people and staff on dental trauma, for example, a tooth knocked out by a football. In doing so the practice represented Dental Trauma UK, a charity set up to promote the best way to save teeth.
• Additionally, the practice worked with the local rotary to deliver oral health education in the community such as shopping centres.