We carried out this announced inspection on 26 May 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

Pure Dental Surgery is in Eastbourne and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including spaces for patients with disabled badges, are available near the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists, four dental nurses (one of whom is a trainee), one dental hygienist, one receptionist and one office manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.

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 16 CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with one other patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

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

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday 8.30am until 5.30pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• 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 dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

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

• Review the practice's protocols for completion of dental care records taking into account guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping.
• Review the availability of equipment to manage medical emergencies taking into account guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK), and the General Dental Council.
• Review the current staffing arrangements to ensure all dental care professionals are adequately supported by a trained member of the dental team when treating patients in a dental setting taking into account the guidance issued by the General Dental Council.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 10 November 2015 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

Pure Dental Surgery is a mixed dental practice providing both NHS and private treatment. The practice caters for children and adults and is situated in a residential area of Eastbourne.

The practice provides services on one level and has three treatment rooms, a decontamination room, an X-ray room, reception and two waiting areas.

The provider is the registered person. A registered person is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered persons 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 practice has three dentists, one dental hygienist who provided preventative advice and treatments on prescription from the dentists working at the practice. The dentists and hygienist are supported by four dental nurses, two receptionists and a practice manager.

Before our inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comment cards to the practice for patients to complete to tell us about their experience of using the practice. We collected 68 completed cards. All provided a positive view of the service the practice provides. Patients commented the team were kind, caring, efficient and that they had received excellent care. The majority commented that the practice was very clean and many told us that nothing was too much trouble, that staff went out of their way to help them.

Our key findings were:

• Staff reported incidents and kept records of these which were used for shared learning and improvement
• The practice was visibly clean and well maintained
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with current guidance.
• The practice had effective safeguarding processes and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The practice placed an emphasis on the promotion of good oral health and provided regular oral health advice to patients.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their role and were supported in their continued professional development.
• Information from 68 completed comment cards gave us a positive picture of a friendly, caring, professional service.
• The practice took into account and comments, suggestions or complaints and used these to make improvements to the service.
• Staff were well supported and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.