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 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

Brundholme dental practice is situated in the centre of Keswick, Cumbria and provides private funded treatments to adults and NHS funded treatment to children.

The practice is situated in a Victorian building in a conservation area of the town.

The practice is accessible for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces are available on the roadside near the practice.

The dental team includes two dentists, one dental hygienist, one dental hygiene therapist, seven dental nurses, a practice manager and one receptionist. The practice has three treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company and as a condition of registration must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run. The registered manager at Brundholme Dental Practice was the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected 11 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice. The dental practice is also part of a private accredited service scheme. We saw the practice had scored 97% in their last inspection which was very positive.

During the inspection we spoke with the principal dentist, two 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, Tuesday and Thursday: 9.00am – 5.30pm

Wednesday: 2.00pm – 8.30pm

Friday: 8.45am – 5.30pm

There were no patients in the practice on the day of our inspection due to routine maintenance being undertaken.

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.

We spoke with three patients when we inspected the practice who all commented they were very happy with the service. They all said they saw the dentist regularly and felt the care they received was excellent.

They confirmed that the dentists, the therapist and the hygienist always explained what they were doing, what they had found during examination and what the treatment options were. They confirmed they had received information to enable them to decide upon treatment options.

Patients confirmed that the practice appeared very clean and staff always wore protective equipment when treating them. Feedback received from patients during the inspection confirmed that patients were happy with the service they receive.

One patient told us: “Staff are really friendly. I would advise anyone to come here.”

Another told us: “I would not go anywhere else, I feel completely at ease here. “I always get a good explanation of what treatment is needed. The practice is efficient and well run.”

One patient was on holiday and needed emergency treatment. They told us: “I am very pleased with the service as an emergency case. They saw me quickly, explained what was wrong, provided treatment and advised me to see my own dentist when I returned home.”