We carried out this announced inspection on 24 July 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 remotely 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

Wrea Green Dental Practice is situated in the village of Wrea Green and provides private treatment to adults and children.

The surgeries, waiting area and reception are all based on the ground floor with level access throughout. There is a private car park in front of the practice with a disabled parking bay.

The dental team includes a practice manager, the principal dentist, a dental hygiene therapist and two dental nurses.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection we collected 44 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, the dental therapist, a dental nurse 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 10am-6:30pm,

Tuesday to Friday 9am-5:30pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The practice had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• The clinical 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 appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership. Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The practice asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The practice dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.

During our visit we spoke with three patients. They were complimentary about the service and told us their dental needs were being met. Patients said they were able to make informed choices about their treatment and their privacy and dignity was always respected. One patient said, “They explained everything including costs before having the treatment”.

We found that treatment was planned and delivered in ways that ensured people’s safety and welfare. Medical histories and individual treatment plans were in place. Staff knew how to deal with foreseeable emergencies.

We found that all areas of the practice were clean and hygienic. One patient said, “It's always clean and immaculate”. We found effective systems to prevent, reduce and control the risk of infection. A comprehensive set of infection control policies and procedures were in place and we found these were followed in practice.

The practice employed staff who were appropriately qualified to provide a safe and effective service. We found that suitable recruitment process were used. Patients were very complimentary about the staff team. One patient said, “All the staff are very professional and they know what they are doing. I would recommend it”.

We found that patients and staff were able to give their views about the service and that these were taken into account in the way the service was provided.

We found that suitable systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service being provided.