We carried out our inspection and looked at this outcome because it had been suggested to us, that while infection prevention and control policies were in place staff did not always implement them in full. It was also said that some of the dental products stocked by the practice were out of date.

We found the treatment rooms were clean, free from clutter with surfaces that could be cleaned and disinfected between patients. We were shown the decontamination room where equipment was cleaned and sterilised, which was well ordered and appropriate records were kept in relation to the decontamination process.

We looked at some of the dental products and treatment stock expiry dates within the treatment rooms and the practice stock room. We found there were three items which were out of date, these were unopened and clearly had not been used. The provider disposed of them immediately.

We found that although we did not observe a negative effect or impact on the patients who used the service there was a potential for infection control risks as some staff did not follow all the guidelines in place.

As we were following up on non-compliance found at a previous inspection visit, we did not speak to patients. We did, however, review four recently completed survey questionnaires, observe interactions between staff and patients, and review patient records. All four of the surveys rated the dental practice highly. We saw staff greet patients by name and patients looked comfortable and relaxed exiting the surgery after their appointment.

At the last inspection, we found that records were not always complete or accessible. At this inspection, we found that the provider had improved the quality of the records through a plan of actions such as training documents which were used with staff to develop competencies. The provider then audited and re-trained staff where necessary.

We spoke with three people who used the service and one relative of a person using the service. They told us that the dental practice was good and that staff were very friendly. People spoke positively about the dental practice and the staff. We saw that many people had been attending this dental practice for many years and staff greeted them and their families by name. One person said that their appointments were sometimes delayed. No one we spoke to had any complaints.

We saw that the one person complained about this provider on the NHS Choices website in March 2012. The provider explained that they could not register this patient under primary care trust rules.

We saw that people experienced care and treatment that met their needs and that the provider had implemented changes to practice to reflect best practice. We saw that the provider had a system in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies.

We observed that the premises were well-designed and clean. We found that the provider had a system in place to prevent cross-infection and that staff had an adequate understanding of safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. We saw that the provider took steps to monitor the quality of the service, which included collecting and acting on people's views.

We saw that documentation was not always fit for purpose. This included records relating to people's care and management of the service. The provider stored records securely but not all records were accessible.