We spoke with five people who were registered as patients with Stockton Health dental practice.

People told us that they felt comfortable with the service provided. They felt their dignity was maintained and their privacy protected. For example people told us that staff requested private information about health updates or financial issues discretely and not within earshot of other patients.

They said they were encouraged to ask questions and felt staff had the time to answer their questions.

People who use the service told us that they were provided with good information both about the treatments and the cost of the different treatments. They said that staff were pleasant and reassuring and made them feel at ease.

People reported that staff were good at discussing all their treatment options and they felt they were provided with realistic expectations of the procedures they were having.

People told us that at the initial visit they were consulted about what treatment they required. They said that they were required to complete and sign a form detailing their past and current medical history, prior to any treatment being carried out.

One person said that they were given full details of the dental process involved before any work was carried out. Other comments included: “Staff are very caring and reassuring”. “My dentist makes me feel calm”. “Staff tell you things in a way you can understand”.

“I feel that the staff here have integrity and don’t offer you treatment you don’t need”. “We are consulted about any medical issues to make sure we are fit to have treatment”. “I have been coming here for many years and feel it is a very good practice”.

People also told us that the clinic was clean, comfortable and accommodating and that appointments were flexible to meet their needs.

We carried out this announced inspection on 17 August 2017 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.

We told the NHS England Cheshire and Merseyside area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. We did not receive any information of concern from them.

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

Stockton Heath Dental Practice is close to the centre of Stockton Heath and provides dental care and treatment to adults and children on an NHS and privately funded basis.

There are low steps at the front entrance to the practice with a handrail positioned alongside to assist patients with limited mobility. The practice has two treatment rooms. Car parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes four dentists, a dental hygienist, four dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, and a receptionist.

The practice is owned by a partnership and as a condition of registration must have in place a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have a 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 Stockton Heath Dental Practice is one of the partners.

We received feedback from 39 people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was positive about the practice.

During the inspection we spoke to a dentist and two dental nurses. We looked at practice policies, procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medical emergency medicines and equipment were available.
• The practice had safeguarding processes in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had staff recruitment procedures in place.
• The practice had systems in place to help them manage risk.
• Staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• The practice had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment system took patients’ needs into account. Dedicated emergency appointments were available.
• The practice had a leadership structure. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked patients and staff for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice had infection control procedures in place which largely reflected published guidance. We found staff were not fully clear about the guidance for re-processing unused unwrapped instruments at the end of the day.

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

• Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols having due regard to 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, specifically in relation to the re-processing of unused unwrapped dental instruments.