We carried out this announced inspection on 17 October 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

Kentish Town Dental Centre is Kentish Town in the London Borough of Camden. The practice provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

The practice is situated close to public transport bus and train services.

The dental team includes the principal dentist who owns the practice, five associate dentists, one dental hygienist, three dental nurses and one trainee dental nurse. The clinical team are supported by a receptionist.

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 received feedback from 21 patients.

During the inspection we spoke with the practice owner, two associate dentists the dental hygienist, one dental nurse, the trainee dental nurse and the receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday between 9am to 5.30pm.

Early morning, late evening and Saturday appointments are available upon request.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice 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 practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership.
• 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 practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice had suitable information governance arrangements.

We found a clean, well maintained, practice on a residential street close to the main road. Patients we spoke with told us that they were happy with the service provided. They felt they were given enough information about their treatment options and the relevant fees and were able to ask all the questions they wanted to. They found the staff to be friendly and reported that they were treated with respect and their privacy maintained.

Consultations took place in private rooms to ensure privacy and maintain confidentiality. Patients were able to make comments about their experience on feedback cards situated in the main waiting area. They told us "The dentist treatments are always explained well, as well as the pricing structure”. Treatments records were maintained electronically, as well as record cards. We saw that patients completed a medical history questionnaire prior to any consultation with the dentist and before commencing any treatment. Consent was confirmed before any treatment was begun.