We carried out this announced inspection on 20 September 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

Mr Jonathan Stark - Baddow Road is in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is ramp access at the side of the building for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, are available at the front of the practice.

The dental team includes one dentist, two dental nurses and one receptionist. The practice has one treatment room on the ground floor.

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 27 CQC comment cards filled in by patients, we did not speak with any patients.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, one dental nurse, and one receptionist. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice staff had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were mostly available. We noted there was no size 0 airway, no clear face masks and no paediatric ambubag. Needles and syringes were out of date and the packaging for other airways was damaged. Following the inspection, the practice sent us evidence that these items had been replaced.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice staff 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 and culture of continuous improvement.
• 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 staff dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice staff had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the practice’s protocols for the use of rubber dam for root canal treatment taking into account guidelines issued by the British Endodontic Society.

• Review the practice’s protocols for domiciliary visits taking into account the 2009 guidelines published by British Society for Disability and Oral Health in the document “Guidelines for the Delivery of a Domiciliary Oral Healthcare Service”.

We spoke to four people on the day of our inspection

All the people we spoke with were very complimentary about the service and treatment they had received at Baddow Road Dental Surgery and would recommend the practice to family and friends.

One person told us "My wife and I are more than satisfied, we always get a very good service." Another person said “I have been an NHS patient with the practice for about ten years and it is brilliant."

All the people we spoke with said that the staff were very helpful and friendly. Some comments included. "They are a good bunch." And “everyone always tries to help you out if you are having difficulties.” One person said “I have never had any problems with re arranging my appointments if I need to.”

All the people we spoke with told us that they were always provided with information about their treatment in a way that they could understand and that it had included options, risks and costs. They all felt they had been very involved in their treatment.