We carried out this announced inspection on 22 February 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

Genix Healthcare Dental Practice is in Eastleigh and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including those for blue badge holders, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes three dentists, one lead dental nurse, three dental nurses, three trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist, one cleaner and the practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. At the time of the inspection Genix Healthcare Dental Practice – Eastleigh did not have a registered manager in post.

On the day of the inspection we collected 25 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with four other patients.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, two trainee dental nurses, three dental nurses, three trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist, one cleaner, one practice manager, one operations manager, one clinical director, one compliance manager and the company chief executive officer. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm

Friday 8am to 6.30pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider 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 to patients and staff.
• The practice staff had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider 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.
• The provider 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 provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the providers registration conditions to ensure the regulated activities at Genix Healthcare Dental Practice - Eastleigh are managed by an individual who is registered as a manager.

• Review the practice's policy and the storage of products identified under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 2002 Regulations to ensure a risk assessment is undertaken and the products are stored securely.

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

During our visit to this practice we spoke with four patients who were very happy with the treatment that was provided for them. All the patients understood what treatment they were having and how much it would cost. Patients were given the opportunity to feed back about their experiences in the practice. We saw that staff used current national guidance and evidence to support their care and treatment of patients.

We saw there were systems in place at this practice to reduce the risk and spread of infection. During our visit we spoke to clinical staff at the practice. They were aware of the safe practices required to meet the essential standards of department of health guidance.

The practice was purpose built within an older building and we saw that the design, layout and security of the premises was fit for purpose and safely met the needs of everyone receiving care and treatment including those with disabilities.