We carried out this announced inspection on 30 May 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.

We told the NHS England area team and Healthwatch that we were inspecting the practice. They did not have any relevant information to share with us regarding this dental practice.

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

Oasis Dental Care is located in premises in the Balderton area of Newark in north Nottinghamshire and provides both NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is ramped access for patients to the front door which ensures easy access for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. The practice has its own car park to the rear of the premises.

The dental team includes five dentists; four qualified dental nurses including two receptionists; three trainee dental nurses and a practice manager who was also a qualified dental nurse. The practice has three treatment rooms, two of which are on the ground floor.

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 Oasis Dental Care is the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected five CQC comment cards filled in by patients and spoke with one other patient. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, four dental nurses, 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 to Thursday: 8 am to 7 pm and Friday: 8 am to 3 pm. In addition the practice is open one Saturday morning per month to treat private patients.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which followed 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 risks in the practice, particularly with regard to health and safety.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff had been trained and 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 steps to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs. Patients said they could get an appointment that suited them.
• Staff said they did not always have sufficient numbers of instruments to meet the demands of the practice.
• 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.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review the number of dental instruments available in the practice to ensure there are sufficient quantities to be able to treat all patients safely.

We saw that staff are polite, courteous and welcoming to customers entering the premises. We spoke to two people in private who were satisfied with the service they were receiving and only had the highest compliments for all the staff they came into contact during their visits. They all indicated that they felt fully involved in their treatment. They told us they always had available treatment options explained clearly for them. They also noted that they were given time, after initial consultations, to make choices about what treatment to receive.

The people we spoke with said that the practice was always clean. They confirmed that the dentists and nurses always offered them glasses to protect their eyes, wear these themselves and that they always wear disposable gloves. People told us that they see staff take their gloves off and wash their hands and put clean gloves on. People also told us that after they had finished their treatment they saw that the nurse would start to clean parts of the treatment room before they left.