We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 26 January 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

Shrubbery Dental Practice is situated near Worcester city centre in a converted residential property. It provides private dental care. The practice has three dentists (two of whom are partners in the practice), two dental hygienists, five dental nurses and two apprentice dental nurses. The dental nurses also carry out reception duties and are supported in this by a head receptionist. The practice has a practice manager who is also a qualified dental nurse.

The practice has four dental treatment rooms and a decontamination room for the cleaning, sterilising and packing of dental instruments. The reception area, a waiting room, three of the treatment rooms and patient toilets are on the ground floor. There is a second waiting room and further patient toilets on the first floor.

Before the inspection we sent Care Quality Commission comment cards to the practice for patients to use to tell us about their experience of the practice. We collected 14 completed cards. We also saw the practice’s patient comments book and patient survey forms. These all provided a consistently positive view of the service the practice provides.

Our key findings were:

• Patients who completed CQC comment cards and those who had filled in the practices own surveys were all positive about the practice team and the care and treatment provided.

• The practice had an established process for reporting and recording significant events and accidents to ensure they investigated these and took remedial action.
• The practice was visibly clean and a number of patients commented on their satisfaction with hygiene and cleanliness.
• The practice had well organised systems to assess and manage infection prevention and control.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had recruitment policies and procedures to help them ensure the suitability of staff they employed. They had improved these during 2015 because they recognised their procedures needed to be more structured to reflect legal requirements. They made further changes on the day of the inspection.
• Dental care records provided clear and detailed information about patients’ care and treatment.
• Staff received training appropriate to their roles and were supported in their continued professional development.
• Patients were able to make routine and emergency appointments when needed.
• The practice had systems including audits to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided.
• The practice had used an external business consultant to help the partners and practice manager develop their leadership skills and their approach to management and effective team building.