We carried out this announced inspection on 7 June 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

Parkside Dental Practice is located in Bromsgrove and provides private and a small NHS contract for dental treatments to patients of all ages.

The dental team includes two dentists, five dental nurses, one trainee dental nurse, two dental hygienists, a dental hygienist / therapist, a practice manager and an office manager.

The practice relocated to purpose built premises in 2011 and are situated within a health centre complex. The practice is on the ground floor and has a reception area, a waiting room, an admin office, three dental treatment rooms, a staff room and a two decontamination rooms (a dirty room and a clean room) for the cleaning, sterilising and packing of dental instruments. The building and has level access and an assisted toilet for patients who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available for patients with disabled badges near the practice.

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 28 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, four dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse, one dental hygienist, the office manager 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 4.30pm

Tuesday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Wednesday: 8.30am to 6pm

Thursday: 8.30am to 5pm

Friday: 8.30am to 4.30pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. However on the day of our inspection there was no paediatric oxygen mask and the adult oxygen mask needed replacing. These were both ordered on the day of our inspection.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice 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 appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership. 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 dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

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

• Review monitoring processes and protocols to ensure effective monitoring of incident procedures, medicine fridge temperatures, and dental material expiry date procedures.
• 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.