We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 17 October 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

Salmon Lane Dental Care located in Tower Hamlet provides NHS and private dental treatment to patients of all ages.

Practice staffing consists of two principal dentists, two associate dentists, one Foundation dentist, three dental nurses and one receptionist

The principal dentist is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. 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 is open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 6pm.

The practice facilities include two treatment rooms, reception and waiting area, decontamination room, and a staff room/kitchen.

22 patients provided feedback about the service. Patients we spoke with and those who completed comment cards were very positive about the care they received about the service. Patients told us that they were happy with the treatment and advice they had received.

Our key findings were:

• Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• There were systems in place to ensure that all equipment was maintained in line with manufacturer’s guidelines.
• The practice ensured staff were trained and that they maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Staff had been trained to handle medical emergencies, and appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were readily available.
• There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Dental instruments were cleaned and sterilised in line with current guidance.
• Staff had received safeguarding children and adults training and knew the processes to follow to raise any concerns. The practice had whistleblowing policies and procedure and staff were aware of these and their responsibilities to report any concerns.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and confidentiality was maintained.
• The appointment system met the needs of patients and waiting times were kept to a minimum.
• The practice had a procedure for handling and responding to complaints, which were displayed and available to patients.
• Governance systems were effective and there were a range of policies and procedures in place which underpinned the management of the practice. Clinical audits were carried out to monitor the quality of services.
• The practice sought feedback from staff and patients about the services they provided and acted on this to improve its services.

Patients were pleased with the service at Salmon Lane Dental Care. They praised the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. Patients told us the dentist explained any treatment clearly and communicated well with children. We saw that the service was clean and hygienic with effective systems to decontaminate equipment and instruments.

Patients told us it sometimes took too long to obtain an appointment at the service. The dentist confirmed this was an ongoing problem. The provider had discussed the issue with the local dental commissioning team and had recently begun to offer some walk-in appointments.

The service assessed people's medical history before providing treatment and kept clear records of people's treatment plans. The service was equipped to deal with medical emergencies. The dentists and clinical staff members were qualified and had opportunities to develop professionally.