We spoke with four patients. They told us staff were helpful and always treated them respectfully. They said they were very happy with the practice and did not have any concerns or issues about the treatment they received. Comments included; "I've no complaints at all, they're very nice to deal with" and "I've always been satisfied with the service".

There was evidence that the provider sought the views of people using the service.

We saw the practice was clean and there were effective systems in place to prevent and control infection and deal with medical emergencies.

The practice had satisfactory policies and procedures in place for safeguarding children, but not for safeguarding vulnerable adults.

We carried out this announced inspection on 20 June 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 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

Helsby Dental Surgery is in Helsby and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.

There is level access to the rear of the practice to facilitate entrance for people who use wheelchairs and for pushchairs. Car parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes a principal dentist, four associate dentists, seven dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, two receptionists and a decontamination assistant. The dental team is supported by a practice manager and an assistant practice manager. The practice has five 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.

We received feedback from 37 people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was extremely positive.

During the inspection we spoke to four dentists, dental nurses, receptionists and the practice managers. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday 8.15am to 6.00pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures in place.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and equipment were available.
• The provider had systems in place to manage risk.
• The provider had safeguarding procedures in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures in place. We found that two Disclosure and Barring Service checks had not been carried out at an appropriate time.
• 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 dental team provided preventive care and supported patients to achieve better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints. The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice had a leadership and management structure and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked patients and staff for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider had information governance arrangements in place.

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

• Review the practice’s system for recording incidents or significant events with a view to preventing further occurrences and ensuring that improvements are made as a result.
• Review the practice's recruitment procedures to ensure that appropriate checks, specifically Disclosure and Barring checks where necessary, are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice.