We carried out this announced inspection on 1 October 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 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

Grundy Dental practice is in Rugeley, Staffordshire and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

A portable ramp is used to gain access to the practice for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking is available on the road at the front of the practice and on local side roads.

The dental team includes two dentists, three dental nurses, one of whom is the receptionist and one the practice manager. The practice has one treatment room in use and one which is out of commission.

The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Grundy Dental practice was the senior partner.

On the day of inspection, we received feedback from 17 patients.

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

The practice is open: Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm and Friday from 9am to 1.30pm. The practice is closed for lunch between the hours of 1pm to 2pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained. Practice staff completed daily cleaning with an external company providing a deep clean once per month. Records were kept of cleaning undertaken.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Not all appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available, but these were ordered on the day of inspection.
• The practice had suitable systems to help ensure patient safety. These included safeguarding processes, detailed risk assessments which were reviewed six-monthly and infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Some minor improvements were required to staff recruitment procedures. Changes were made to the recruitment policy on the day of inspection and proof of identification was provided for staff.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines. The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs. Patients who were in dental pain could see a dentist within 24 hours of their contact with the practice.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice staff had suitable information governance arrangements.

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

• Review the practice's responsibilities to take into account the needs of patients with disabilities and to comply with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.