This inspection was carried out on a Saturday. Because of the specialist nature of out of hours, emergency dental work we were assisted by a specialist dental advisor. We spoke with the majority of the patients who visited the service during our inspection, as well as all the dental team, the registered manager, the dental nurse lead and the receptionist.

We found patients were treated safely and respectfully by a caring staff team who involved patients effectively in decision making. Care and treatment was provided in a responsive, private and dignified way and patients were given information in a timely way relevant to their needs. The service was well led by a provider who actively engaged in all aspects of their service.

Care and treatment of patients was based upon a full mouth assessment which identified the problem and treated it in line with the wishes of patients. Facilities were in place to manage medical emergencies with emergency equipment and medicines prepared in a simple yet innovative way. The patients we spoke with were highly complementary about the care and treatment provided. One person told us, “The service is faultless. Staff are friendly and informative. Excellent”! Whilst another person said, “I got good advice and treatment and I know what to do next”.

The provider had cleanliness and infection control systems in place to prevent, detect and control the spread of a health care associated infection. All surgeries, public areas and the waiting area were clean and tidy. Staff carried out effective hygiene and infection control procedures, wore personal protective equipment (PPE) when they provided patient care and made PPE available to patients for their protection. Regular audits and checks ensured all aspects of cleanliness and infection control were routinely monitored.

There were effective recruitment processes in place with all dentists having to have worked in general practice for at least three years before working in this service. All staff were checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service before starting their post, a minimum of two references were gained and identification was checked to ensure they had a legal right to work in this country. All the dental team were General Dental Council (GDC) registered.

Records relating to the care of patients and the management of the service were managed appropriately. Medical and medication records were routinely checked before the patient received treatments. The provider carried out routine clinical audits of records to ensure recording met the standards required by the provider and the GDC. Patients could be reassured that their information was stored securely and accessed easily if required.