We carried out this announced inspection on 06 June 2017 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

Knightshill Dental Practice is in West Norwood, in the London borough of Lambeth and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs.

A car parking space for patients with disabilities was available at the front of the practice.

The dental team includes five dentists, five dental nurses, two trainee dental nurses, two dental hygienists, one receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms and two waiting areas.

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 30 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with four other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

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

The practice is open Monday –Thursday 9.00am -6.00pm, Fridays 9.00-5.00pm and Saturdays 10.00am – 2pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice 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.
• 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 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.

People spoken with said that it was a friendly practice, and that this made a difference when attending for treatment. People feel at ease about asking questions and feel that there is a transparency about the treatment and the costs involved.

Patients enjoy the reliability and convenience of this service, the dentist has provided dental services in this local community for many years.

A person spoken with said, "I have attended this dentist for over twelve years, I have total confidence in the service".

The service has robust procedures in place to ensure the cleanliness of the surgery and to protect people from the risk of infection.

People feel that they are respected and that their views matter, they are asked for their views about their experience of the service.