We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 4 February 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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 in Derby is situated over three floors of a building located just of the inner ring road in central Derby. The practice is part of a larger organisation with a corporate dental provider. The practice was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January 2014. The practice provides regulated dental services to patients from a wide area of Derbyshire. This was because the practice’s location close to the centre of Derby and near the ring road made it relatively easy for patients to attend who were not from the immediate area. The practice provides mostly NHS dental treatment. Services provided include general dentistry, dental hygiene, crowns and bridges, and root canal treatment.

The practice is open: Monday to Thursday: 8:45 am to 5:30 pm, and Friday: 8:45 am to 5 pm. Access for urgent treatment outside of opening hours is by telephoning the practice and following the instructions on the answerphone message. Alternatively patients should ring the 111 telephone number.

The practice has six dentists, one orthodontist, two dental hygienists, seven dental nurses, three of whom also worked on reception, one receptionist, two trainee dental nurses and one practice manager.

We received positive feedback from 37 patients about the services provided. This was through CQC comment cards left at the practice prior to the inspection and by speaking with patients in the practice.

Our key findings were:

• There were systems in place to record accidents, significant events and complaints. There was a system to identify any learning points from them and these were shared with staff.
• The records showed that apologies had been given for any concerns or upset that patients had experienced.
• There was a whistleblowing policy and procedures which staff were aware of, and knew how to use them. All staff had access to the whistleblowing policy.
• Feedback from patients about the dental services they received was positive.
• Patients said they were treated with dignity and respect.
• Records showed there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• There were a sufficient supply of the necessary equipment for staff to deal with medical emergencies, and staff had been trained how to use that equipment. .
• The practice followed the relevant guidance from the Department of Health's: ‘Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM 01-05) for infection control.
• Patients’ were involved in discussions about the planning and delivery of care and treatment. Patient recall intervals were in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.
• Treatment options were identified, explored and discussed with patients.
• Patients’ confidentiality was maintained.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Replace the broken hearing loop as a reasonable addition as identified in the Equality Act (2010).
• Review the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) file and ensure that this is up-to-date to comply with the COSHH Regulations 2002.
• Review the usage of rubber dams to follow the guidelines from the British Endodontic Society. This would include recording in the patients’ care records when rubber dams have been used, and if not why not.

Review how feedback was given to patients on a regular basis following the Family & Friends test and the practice’s own survey.