We visited the practice on 9 January 2013 and found that care and treatment was delivered in a clean and hygienic environment, however not all essential infection control procedures had been developed. We found that the Local Decontamination Unit (LDU) did not have a separate sink for hand washing.

At this inspection visit on 31 July 2013 we found that infection control procedures had been developed and a separate hand washing sink had been installed in the LDU. People were protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had been followed.

We spoke with five people who used the service. People said that they were very happy and that they saw the dentist on a regular basis. They confirmed the dentist always explained what they were doing, what they had found during the examination and the treatment options. People found the staff to be approachable and felt able to ask the dentist questions or make comments about their treatment. One person said, "They are so welcoming. I have the best dentist and hygienist.” Another person said, "The surgery is very relaxed and the staff are very friendly. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

People told us that the practice was flexible and that if they needed to see the dentist in an emergency they would always fit them in. On the day of the inspection we found this to be the case as one person contacted the surgery and asked to see the dentist that day. An appointment was made for the person to visit that afternoon. We found that people who used the service had their privacy and dignity respected.

We found that care and treatment was delivered in a clean and hygienic environment, however not all essential infection control policies/procedures had been developed. The Local Decontamination Unit did not have a separate hand washing sink.

We found appropriate recruitment practices to be in place. People told us that they felt comfortable in raising a concern or complaint with staff working at the practice, but they were not aware of the complaint procedure.