At our inspection of this service in July 2103 we found that the oxygen tank and the emergency drugs were past their expiry date. This meant that people were not protected from the risk of unsafe or unsuitable medical emergency equipment.

The provider sent us an action plan in August 2013 to tell us that all actions had been taken immediately following our inspection in July to address the safety and suitability of the equipment and the emergency drugs.

At this inspection on 30 September 2013, the provider was able to demonstrate that they had taken steps to address the identified shortfalls.

People’s privacy and dignity was respected. People told us they were given good verbal information and explanation about their treatment options by the dentist. However, people were not given written information about their planned NHS treatment and costs.

Two people we spoke with said they were satisfied with the treatment they received. One person who had used the service for many years said, “I have had very good service. The treatment is extremely good. I had a full mouth examination. They gave me some good advice about hygiene and prevention.”

We saw that people’s records contained up to date medical history details so that staff had the information they needed about the person to ensure their safety and wellbeing. However, we found that most emergency drugs and emergency equipment were past their expiry dates. This meant that suitably maintained equipment was not in place to limit the risk to people’s safety.

People told us that the staff members were ‘helpful’ and ‘nice’. They said that they would feel able to say if they were not happy and one person also said that the dentist was ‘very friendly’. Patient satisfaction surveys seen were positive about the politeness and efficiency of the staff. They contained comments such as, “Wicked staff. They made me brave” and “Brilliant practice, the dentist and staff are very caring.”