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 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

Holt Dental Care is a well-established dental practice which provides private treatment to adults and children. The dental team includes three dentists, one periodontist, eight dental nurses, three dental hygienists and five receptionists. The practice has six treatment rooms.

There is stairlift access for people who use wheelchairs. The practice does not have its own parking facilities, but there is on street parking nearby.

The practice is owned by a company 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. The registered manager at the practice was the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected 10 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with one other patient.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, three dental nurses, one dental hygienist, one receptionist and the practice manager. One of the provider’s area compliance leads was also on site. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: from 8 am to 5pm each day

Our key findings were:

• Information from completed Care Quality Commission comment cards gave us a positive picture of a caring, professional and high-quality service.

• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.

• The practice provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The treatment rooms and decontamination suite were well organised and equipped.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current best practice guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and other published guidance.

• Members of the dental team were up-to-date with their continuing professional development and supported to meet the requirements of their professional registration.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.

We spoke with a total of five people who were waiting for or who had just attended an appointment with their dentist. They reported that they felt involved and respected by the service and were involved in the decisions about their dental treatment and care. They were pleased with the arrangements in place for accessing emergency dental care and spoke highly of the continuity of care provided by their own dentist.

Those people spoken with confirmed that they were satisfied with the treatment and support provided by the practice. They reported that the reception staff were welcoming and happy to help with any queries. They were happy with the explanation of the treatment options available to them and how their dental care had been provided. Three people spoke highly of the care and attention shown by their own dentist.

Those people spoken with confirmed that the practice was always clean and that any spillages were dealt with promptly and efficiently by staff.