We carried out this announced inspection on 11 September 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

Grenoside Dental Care is in Sheffield and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

The practice is located on the first floor of a shared building. People who would find the stairs difficult to manage are referred to the sister practice nearby. Car parking is available close to the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists; a principal and an associate dentist. The principal dentist is the owner who mainly works at the sister practice. The associate dentist is supported by three dental nurses and a receptionist. The practice has one treatment room and a decontamination room.

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 22 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. Patients were positive about the service provided.

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

The practice is open:

Tuesday 8:30am – 4:30pm

Wednesday 8:30am – 2pm

Thursday 9am – 4:30pm

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.

People told us that staff explained all the procedures and treatments to them and respected their decisions about their treatment and care. One person said, there are choices stated clearly in the waiting area and they (dentist) will offer you choice and the most suitable treatment” and “you know how much you are paying for treatment before you come in.”

People who used the service told us they were happy with the care and treatment they received at the practice. One person said, "they (dentist) always explains everything and I like to ask questions” and “really friendly staff, very accommodating for appointments, never had a problem.”

The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place to ensure that staff were appropriately employed.

We found people received care and treatment in a clean environment with infection control measures in place to minimise the risk of infection. People we spoke with told us the unit was always clean and tidy. One person told us the surgery was “very good.”

The provider had an appropriate system in place for gathering, recording and evaluating information about the quality and safety of care the service provides. People who used the service and their representatives were asked for their views about their care and treatment.