We carried out this announced inspection on 30 November 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

The practice is in Hinckley, a market town in southwest Leicestershire. The practice provides mostly NHS treatment to patients of all ages. It also provides some private treatments. At the time of our inspection, the practice was accepting new NHS patients for registration.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including one allocated for patients who are blue badge holders are available on site. There is also free on road parking near to the practice.

The dental team includes eight dentists, five dental nurses, three trainee dental nurses, one dental hygienist, three receptionists and a practice manager.

The practice has seven treatment rooms; four of which are on the ground floor.

The practice is owned by a company 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 Mydentist – Clarendon Road – Hinckley is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected 43 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice. We noted five comment cards contained mixed feedback.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, the dental hygienist, two receptionists and the practice manager. A regulations officer and the Regional Business Manager from Mydentist also attended on the day. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday and Thursday from 8am to 5.30pm, Tuesday from 8am to 6pm, Wednesday from 8.30am to 7pm and Friday from 8am to 5pm. The practice opened on an ad hoc basis on Saturdays.

Our key findings were:

• Effective leadership from the provider and committed practice manager was evident.
• Staff had been trained to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and lifesaving equipment was readily available in accordance with current guidelines.
• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected current published guidance.
• The practice had effective processes in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children living in vulnerable circumstances.
• The practice had adopted a process for the reporting of untoward incidents and shared learning when they occurred in the practice.
• Clinical staff provided dental care in accordance with current professional and National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
• The practice was aware of the needs of the local population and took these into account when delivering the service.
• Patients had access to routine treatment and urgent care when required.
• Staff received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continuing professional development (CPD) by the practice.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• Staff we spoke with felt supported by the practice manager and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.
• Governance arrangements were embedded within the practice.

We spoke with five patients and five members of staff. We reviewed five treatment plans and five electronic patient records. We saw information relating to eight members of staff.

The patients we spoke with told us that their treatment had been discussed and that they were able to make an informed decision about their treatment. One patient told us: “I am always given a thorough explanation of the treatment options available to me. I am then asked for my consent.”

All of the patients we spoke with had high regard for the quality of care and kindness displayed by the staff. One patient told us: “The practice is friendly and welcoming. It is always easy to get an appointment, especially in an emergency.” Another patient told us: “I am very pleased with the practice. It’s convenient and I can always get an appointment. All of the staff are very friendly, and the dentist is very nice and friendly.”

Staff were observed wearing uniforms and other appropriate personal protective equipment. None of the patients we spoke with had any concerns about the cleanliness of the practice.

We saw that all dental treatment was provided by a qualified dentist and the dental nurses who were registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), the professional regulator of dental practitioners.

We also saw that a range of audits, risk assessments and checks were carried out to ensure systems and practices were working effectively.