We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 16 November 2016 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

Goodall Dental Practice has one dentist (principal dentist) who works part time and two qualified dental nurses who are registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) who also work as receptionists. The practice’s opening hours are Monday 8.30am to 5pm, Wednesday 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 4pm. On alternate Wednesdays the practice is open from 10am to 7pm. The reception of the practice is open from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday and Thursday to enable patients to book appointments but there is no dentist working on these days (unless an emergency appointment is required).

Goodall Dental Practice provides both NHS and private dental treatment for adults and children. The practice has one dental treatment room on the ground floor. Sterilisation and packing of dental instruments takes place in the treatment room. There is a reception with separate waiting area.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comments cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience of the practice. During the inspection we spoke with one patient. Overall we received feedback from 11 patients who provided a positive view of the services the practice provides. All of the patients commented that the quality of care was very good and staff were professional, friendly, calming and reassuring.

Our key findings were

• Systems were in place for the recording and learning from significant events and accidents.
• The practice had not developed a policy regarding duty of candour but we were told that this would be developed.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect.
• The practice was visibly clean and well maintained.
• Infection control procedures were in place with infection prevention and control audits being undertaken on a six monthly basis. Staff had access to personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties, and equipment was well maintained.
• Oral health advice and treatment was provided in-line with the ‘Delivering Better Oral Health’ toolkit (DBOH).
• The provider had the majority of emergency medicines in line with the British National Formulary (BNF) guidance for medical emergencies in dental practice. Some items of equipment such as syringes had passed their expiry date. Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies although update training was slightly overdue.
• The appointment system met the needs of patients and waiting times were kept to a minimum.
• The practice’s fire risk assessment was brief and had not been adapted to meet the needs of the practice.
• The governance systems were effective.
• The practice was well-led and there were clearly defined leadership roles. Staff told us they felt supported, involved and they all worked as a team.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should

• Review the practice’s procedures regarding medicines and equipment to be used in a medical emergency to ensure that all equipment is in date and that medicines as detailed in the guidelines produced by the resuscitation council (UK) are available.
• Review the practice’s procedures for training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to ensure staff receive simulation training as detailed in the quality standards for cardiopulmonary resuscitation practice and training produced by the resuscitation council (UK).
• Review the systems in place to monitor and track the use of prescription pads.
• Review the practice’s fire safety procedures and ensure that regular checks are made of all firefighting equipment including smoke detectors, that all staff are involved in fire drills on a regular basis and that the practice undertakes and records details regarding a robust fire risk assessment
• Review the practice’s systems to ensure that they are is in compliance with its legal obligations under Ionising Radiation Regulations (IRR) 99 and Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulation (IRMER) 2000.

We carried out this inspection to check on the care and welfare of people using this service. Our visit was discussed and arranged in advance two days in advance to ensure that we had time to see and speak to staff working at the practice, as well as people registered with the service.

People said they were involved in decisions about their care and the dentist was very good at explaining any treatment. People told us the dentist gave them information about the treatment options and the costs were explained. They told us they felt comfortable to ask questions about the treatments available and consent was sought prior to any treatment being given.

Treatment could be arranged at a convenient time, and people told us they did not experience any lengthy delays. People could consider their treatment options and any costs involved and did not have to make a decision immediately.

The provider had systems in place to gain feedback from people using the service. We saw that regular checks were undertaken to assess and monitor the service provided.