We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 3 January 2017 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

So Dental is a well-established dental practice in the centre of Chatteris. It provides privately funded dental treatment to adults and children. The team consists of one dentist (who owns the practice), two dental therapists, two dental nurses, and a receptionist. The current owner took over the practice in April 2016. The practice is situated in a converted residential property and has two dental treatment rooms. There is a large patient waiting area and reception area, and staff room.

It opens from 9am to 5.30pm from Mondays to Thursdays, and by appointment on a Friday and Saturday.

Our key findings were:

• Information from 22 completed Care Quality Commission comment cards gave us a positive picture of a friendly, professional and high quality service.

• The practice had systems to help ensure patient safety. These included safeguarding children and adults from abuse, maintaining the required standards of infection prevention and control, and responding to medical emergencies.

• Staff reported incidents and kept records of these that the practice used for shared learning.

• Risk assessment was robust and action was taken to protect staff and patients.

• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and competent staff. Members of the dental team were up-to-date with their continuing professional development and supported to meet the requirements of their professional registration.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current best practice guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and other published guidance.

• Staff felt well supported and were committed to providing a quality service to their patients.

• The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted upon.

• The practice had a rolling programme of audit in place, which was used to improve the service.