Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare. When we visited on 8th February 2013, we were concerned that dental emergency drugs had passed their expiration dates. After our inspection, the provider agreed to develop an action plan to address non-compliance. When we visited again on 9th May 2013, we saw that the provider had purchased new emergency drugs.

The provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. When we visited on 8th February, we were concerned because the provider did not have a safeguarding policy for children and vulnerable adults. The provider agreed to develop an action plan to address non-compliance. When we visited again on 9th May we saw that a policy on Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults had been introduced.

People were protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had been followed. When we visited on 8th February, we were concerned because the provider’s autoclave was overdue its annual service and because cleaned, pouched dental instruments were not date stamped to identify sterility expiration dates. The provider agreed to develop an action plan to address non-compliance. When we visited again on 9th May, we saw that the autoclave had been satisfactorily tested.

Patients were able to discuss treatment, medical history, fees and other matters in the treatment room. This ensured that patient privacy was respected.

As part of our inspection, we saw that emergency drugs had passed their expiration date. We were told that staff had not attended basic life support training since 2006. This meant that the provider did not have procedures in place for dealing with foreseeable emergencies.

The provider was unable to provide details of local safeguarding contacts or explain how to report a safeguarding concern. This meant that people who used the service were not protected from the risk of abuse because there were no systems in place to identify the possibility of abuse or prevent it from happening.

We saw that the treatment room, reception area and waiting room were clean and clutter free. All the people we spoke with gave positive feedback on the cleanliness of the practice. One patient commented that the environment was “excellent and could not be faulted”. The provider did not have an infection control policy and procedure. This meant that there were no comprehensive systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

None of the patients we spoke with expressed concerns about the accuracy or confidentiality of patient records. The provider told us that a patient’s medical record could be viewed if they so requested.