We spoke to three people who used the service. One was a carer who had brought a parent to an appointment. She told us she was very happy with the service provided by the dentist. It was easy to get an appointment and the staff were very accommodating to her needs and those of her father.

Another person told us that he had been coming to the practice for 10 years and that "the surgeries were very clean and tidy" and "all staff wore gloves and masks". He was happy with the practice and he was usually seen on time.

The third person we spoke twith had not been for five years and he had come to make an appointment. He was able to get an appointment at short notice and had returned because he remembered they had treated him well in the past.

The provider was providing care in a clean and safe environment, staffed by appropriately supported staff where the care of people using the service was of a high standard.

People that used the dental practice told us they were happy with the service provided. They felt they were given enough information and choice about their treatment options and any relevant costs.

People told us that they were given sufficient time to ask questions. People found the staff to be friendly and helpful and reported that they were treated with respect. They said that the clinic was clean.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 21 June 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

Katherine Dental Care located in Newham provides NHS and private dental treatment to patients of all ages.

Practice staffing consists of the principal dentist, two associate dentists, three dental nurses, two receptionists and a practice manager.

The principal dentist is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons 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 practice is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm

The practice facilities include three treatment rooms, reception and waiting area, decontamination room, one office and a staff room/kitchen.

Thirty-six patients provided feedback about the service. Patients we spoke with and those who completed comment cards were very positive about the care they received about the service. Patients told us that they were happy with the treatment and advice they had received.

Our key findings were:

• Staff had been trained to handle medical emergencies, and appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were readily available.
• Staff had received safeguarding children and adults training and knew the processes to follow to raise any concerns. The practice had whistleblowing policies and procedure and staff were aware of these and their responsibilities to report any concerns.
• There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Dental instruments were cleaned and sterilised in line with current guidance.
• There were systems in place to ensure that all equipment was maintained in line with manufacturer’s guidelines.
• The practice ensured staff were trained and that they maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.
• Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and confidentiality was maintained.
• The practice had a procedure for handling and responding to complaints, which were displayed and available to patients.
• Governance systems were effective and there were a range of policies and procedures in place which underpinned the management of the practice.
• The practice sought feedback from staff and patients about the services they provided and acted on this to improve its services.
• Rubber dam was not being used routinely by the dentists.
• The practice had not recently carried out an audit in the key area of Infection control and record keeping.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the practice’s protocols for the use of rubber dam for root canal treatment giving due regard to guidelines issued by the British Endodontic Society
• Review its audit protocols to ensure audits of various aspects of the service, such as radiography and dental care records are undertaken at regular intervals to help improve the quality of service. Practice should also ensure, that where appropriate audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.