We carried out this announced inspection on 27 June 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

St Annes Private Dental Clinic is in St Annes and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is limited access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available near the practice.

The dental team includes one principal dentist, two associate dentists, one dental hygiene therapist, one dental hygienist, one lead dental nurse, two trainee dental nurses and a receptionist. The practice has three treatment rooms, two of which are on the ground floor of the practice.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection, we collected 37 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, two dental nurses 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 Friday 9.00 to 17.00pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice staff had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice staff dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice staff had suitable information governance arrangements.

We spoke to a number of people about the service. They included the dentist, practice manager, dental nurse and patients who used the service. This is in order to gain a balanced overview of what people experience using this dental practice.

We spoke with people who used the surgery about how they were treated and what support they received. They told us staff discussed their treatment options and they were given time to make informed choices. Comments included, "I am told what treatment I need and how much it will cost." Also, "They go through all the options with you."

People we spoke with felt confident about the abilities of the staff and how they were treated with respect and politeness. A patient we spoke with said, "They are all very polite." Also, “Staff always have time to talk to you and make you feel comfortable."

People we spoke with did not have any issues about the standard of care they were receiving and people told us that they would be comfortable in raising any concerns they may have.