We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 15 December 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

Southwater Dental Surgery is located on the first floor above Southwater Health Centre in the town of Southwater. It is accessible via a lift. The practice provides private and NHS dentistry. The practice comprises of two dental treatment rooms, an office, a combined reception and waiting area and separate patient waiting room.

The practice employs a principal dentist, a foundation dentist, two part time dental hygienists, two qualified and one trainee dental nurses and two part time receptionists.

The practice is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Out of hours details are available on the practice answerphone when the practice is closed.

The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a CQC inspector and a dental specialist advisor.

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 principals, 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.

We reviewed 37 completed Care Quality Commission (CQC) comment cards and obtained the views of seven patients on the day of the inspection. Patients commented that staff were friendly, professional and caring; that the service they received was efficient and excellent.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared visibly clean, was bright and clutter free.
• Staff were welcoming, professional and kind.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties. All equipment was well maintained.
• Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies and most emergency medicines and equipment were readily available as per British National Formulary, the Resuscitation Council (UK), and the General Dental Council (GDC) standards for the dental team. The practice did not have glucose available, for use in the event of a low blood sugar emergency, and were due to replace this.
• Patients were able to make routine and emergency appointments when needed.
• Infection control procedures protocols were suitable taking into account guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’.
• Clinical staff had the necessary skills to carry out their duties in line with the requirements of their professional registration.
• Governance arrangements were in place for the smooth running of the practice.
• Information from 37 completed Care Quality Commission (CQC) comment cards gave an entirely positive picture of a friendly and caring service.

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

• Review the availabilities of medicines to manage medical emergencies taking into account guidelines issued by the British National Formulary and the Resuscitation Council UK.
• Review the systems for maintaining patients’ dental care records taking into account guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping in respect of the documentation of consent.
• Review safeguarding training provision for non clinical staff.
• Review the use of the Friends and Family Test and display the results for patients to see in accordance with the guidelines provided by the NHS.

We spoke with five people who were all very positive about the service that they received from Southwater Dental Practice. People told us that they received a friendly service, were kept well informed and were offered choices about their treatment.

One person said, “I have no complaints at all. I have always had a great service from the dentist, in fact I keep coming here despite moving out of the area as I wanted to stay with this dentist”.

Another person said, “I followed my dentist to this practice when he moved here. I used to be terrified of the dentist and could only go with my husbands support. However this dentist made me feel so comfortable that I kept with him even when he moved to a new practice, and look at me today I don’t even need my husband to come with me to the dentist anymore.”