We carried out this announced inspection on 10 December 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 had remote access to 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

Mydentist - King Street – Longton is in Stoke-on-Trent and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is a small step at the front of the practice which makes access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs difficult. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists, five dental nurses, one dental hygiene therapist, two receptionists and a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.

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 - King Street – Longton is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 19 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, one 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 to Thursday from 9:00am to 5:30pm

Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider 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 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.
• 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 process for ensuring checks are carried out on firefighting equipment on a regular basis.

This was an announced inspection of Longton Dental Practice. Our inspection was discussed and arranged two days in advance. This was to ensure that we had time to see and speak to staff working at the practice, as well as people registered with the service. We reviewed the comments on Choices NHS website and we spoke with the dental planning manager of the local commissioning support services prior to our inspection to receive feedback about the service.

The practice had a contract with the National Health Service (NHS) to provide NHS dental care to people. People could choose to pay for private treatment which was outside the agreed treatments of the NHS.

People who used the service told us they were treated with respect and were fully involved in discussions about and planning for their treatment. People could consider their treatment options and any costs involved and did not need to make a decision immediately.

We spoke with two young children who attended with their father, and we spoke with two adults who had received treatment. They were all complimentary about the treatment and support they received. One person said, "They are brilliant".

The service had a system in place to ensure appropriate levels of cleanliness and hygiene for the premises and equipment.

Accurate records were maintained both for people who used the service and regarding the running and maintenance of the service.