We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 21 April 2016 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 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

Dr Priya Gupta is located in the London Borough of Lewisham and provides NHS dental services. The opening hours for the practice were Monday to Wednesday 9.00 -5.30pm; Thursday 9.00 – 4.45pm, Saturdays on request.

.

The practice comprises of a dentist, a receptionist and a nurse.

The premises consist of two treatment room, a decontamination room and a waiting area.

The principal dentist is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an individual. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. 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.

During the inspection we reviewed 47 completed CQC comment cards and spoke with three patients on the day of the inspection. The patients who provided feedback were positive about the care and treatment they received at the practice. They told us they were involved in all aspects of their care and found the staff to be polite and caring and they were treated with dignity and respect.

Our key findings were:

• There were effective processes in place to reduce and minimise the risk and spread of infection.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with best practice guidance such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) .
• Patients were involved in their care and treatment planning.
• There was appropriate equipment for staff to undertake their duties and equipment was well maintained
• Staff were trained in and there was equipment for them to respond to medical emergencies but the practice did not have appropriate access to an automated external defibrillator.
• Patients told us that staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect.
• Patients indicated that they felt they were listened to and that they received good care from a helpful and caring practice team.
• There were processes in place for patients to give their comments and feedback about the service including making complaints and compliments, but improvements could be made to the complaints system.
• There were good governance arrangements and an effective management structure.

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

• Review the practice’s safeguarding policy ensuring it refers to both children and adults.

• Review the practice’s arrangements for receiving and responding to patient safety alerts, recalls and rapid response reports issued from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and through the Central Alerting System (CAS), as well as from other relevant bodies such as, Public Health England (PHE).

• Review availability of equipment to manage medical emergencies giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK), and the General Dental Council (GDC) standards for the dental team.

• Review it’s responsibilities as regards to the Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 and, ensure all documentation is up to date and staff understand how to minimise risks associated with the use of and handling of these substances.

• Review the practice's protocols for completion of dental records giving due regard to guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice regarding clinical examinations and record keeping.

• Review the practice’s protocols and procedures for promoting the maintenance of good oral health giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Department of Health publication ‘Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention’

• Review the protocols and procedures to ensure staff are up to date with their mandatory training and their Continuing Professional Development.

• Review the practice’s audit protocols of various aspects of the service, such as dental care records at regular intervals to help improve the quality of service. Practice should also check that where appropriate audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.

• Review its complaint handling procedures and establish an accessible system for identifying, receiving, recording, handling and responding to complaints by patients.

People we spoke with during our visit on 3 May 2012 told us they were very pleased with the dental service they received. They told us the service was efficient and flexible, and that staff were friendly, approachable and polite. They said their dentist explained things well and that they had been given choices about what treatment to have. One person told us about the extra care the dentist had taken with them because they were nervous about having dental treatment. Another person described how well the dentist had worked with their children to make going to the dentist a positive experience for them. People told us they felt comfortable and safe in the practice and that the practice was always kept clean and tidy.