We carried out this announced inspection on 9 February 2019 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

KS Dental (known locally as Smile Manchester) is in Urmston, Manchester. It provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. On street parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes six dentists, seven dental nurses (four of whom are trainees), one dental hygienist, one dental hygiene therapist, one receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has four treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a partnership 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 KS Dental is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 13 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, dental nurses, the dental hygienist, the 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 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm

Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.15pm

Friday 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4.30pm

Alternate Saturdays by prior appointment only

Our key findings were:

• The premises were clean, tidy and well maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which broadly reflected published guidance. Minor improvements were needed to the processes for cleaning instruments.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them identify and manage risk to patients and staff.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider had thorough staff recruitment procedures. They did not always obtain references or carry out DBS checks.
• 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.
• Staff were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the practice's recruitment procedures to ensure that appropriate checks are completed prior to new staff commencing employment at the practice; In particular, obtaining references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

• Review the practice’s arrangements for receiving and responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Central Alerting System and other relevant bodies, such as Public Health England.

• Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols taking into account the guidelines issued by the Department of Health in the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices, and having regard to The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’ (In particular, the cleaning of dental instruments and obtaining evidence of sterilisation cycles.

• Review the practice’s protocols for ensuring that all clinical staff have adequate immunity for vaccine preventable infectious diseases.