We carried out this announced inspection on 29 August 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 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

Synergy Dental Clinic Preston is in the centre of Preston and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children. The practice also provides a sedation service.

The provider has installed a ramp to facilitate access to the practice for wheelchair users. Car parking is available near the practice.

The dental team includes three dentists, one of whom is a visiting dentist, three dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, and a receptionist. The dental team is supported by a practice manager. The practice has three treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have 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 Synergy Dental Clinic Preston was the principal dentist.

We received feedback from 42 people during the inspection about the services provided. The feedback provided was positive.

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

The practice is open:

Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures in place.
• Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and equipment were available.
• The provider had safeguarding procedures in place and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The provider had staff recruitment procedures in place.
• 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 dental team provided preventive care and supported patients to achieve better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had a procedure in place for dealing with complaints. The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The practice had a leadership and management structure and a culture of continuous improvement.
• 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 provider had systems in place to manage risk. Security of the decontamination room was not always adequate.
• The provider had information governance arrangements in place.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review the practice’s arrangements for receiving and responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Central Alerting System and other relevant bodies, such as Public Health England.
• Review the security of the decontamination room.