We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 3 November 2015 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

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

The practice is owned by Alistair Bartlett Dental Practices Limited.The practice is located at 10a Milburn Road, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 0HD.

The practice is open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm.

There are five dentists, six dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse, a receptionist and a practice manager. The practice has four dental surgeries.

Alistair Bartlett Dental Practices Ltd is the registered provider for the practice. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the practice is run.

We received feedback from patients about the service via 26 Care Quality Commission comment cards. All the comments were positive about the staff and the services provided. Comments included: staff are excellent, polite, friendly, and very professional.

Our key findings were:

• There was an effective complaints system.
• Staff had received safeguarding training, knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to report it.
• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of patients.
• Staff had been trained to manage medical emergencies.
• Infection control procedures were in accordance with the published guidelines.
• Patient care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with evidence based guidelines and current regulations.
• Patients received clear explanations about their proposed treatment, costs, benefits and risks and were involved in making decisions about it.
• Patients were treated with dignity and respect and their confidentiality was maintained.
• Patients could access routine treatment and urgent care when required.
• The practice was well-led, staff felt involved and supported, and worked well as a team.
• The governance systems were effective.
• The practice sought feedback from staff and patients about the services they provided.

We spoke with six people who used the service to find out their opinions about the treatment they received at the dental practice. One person told us, “If you are looking for a dentist, this is the place to go, it’s excellent. I’ve recommended it to friends, my sister and my mother.”

People told us they were involved in planning their treatment since they were given the information they needed and possible options for treatment. We found that people who used the service were provided with information about care and treatment available at the practice. One person told us, “I am treated well. Everything is explained to me in a plain and simple language and terms, not fancy medical terms or words.”

Everyone we spoke with made positive comments and indicated that they were pleased with the treatment they received. One person said, “The staff are all very good. They are patient, polite and helpful and very well trained.” Another person commented, “I used to be a nervous patient, but nothing worries me now about dentists. I now take everything in my stride and it’s all down to them.”

The practice was clean and there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

We found that staff received the appropriate support and training for their professional development.

We saw that people’s personal records, staff records and other records relevant to the management of the practice were kept securely and were accurate and fit for purpose.