During our visit to Wheatley Dental Practice we met with the provider, Mrs Peers. Mrs Peers was on maternity leave at the time of our visit, but had continued to manage the practice, visiting at least one per week. We spoke with three members of staff. We spoke with five patients and looked at five patient records.

All of the patients we spoke with were very happy with the dental treatment they received. One patient told us “they’re excellent, very professional”. Another patient said “they show you a print out of the x-rays. That makes a big difference. You know why you’re here”. We looked at patient records which confirmed the treatment patients said they had received.

Patients we spoke with told us the practice was always clean and tidy; one patient said it was “pristine”. The practice operated processes, to minimise the risk and spread of infection from dental instruments. However the practice did not operate systems across the practice to identify, assess and manage risks relating to infection. Current guidelines had not always been followed.

Staff told us they were supported to carry out their roles. We saw that staff received training specific to their job and that they received an annual review of their performance.

The practice had systems in place to seek and act on patient feedback.

The patients we spoke with praised the approach of the staff within the practice. They felt that all of the staff were friendly and approachable. Patients were happy with the information they had been given and the treatment they had received. The appointments system was described as “flexible” and people said they had been given good post-treatment advice.