We carried out this announced inspection on 9 January 2019 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

Freedom Dental is in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. Car parking spaces, including one marked specifically for blue badge holders, are available outside the practice.

The dental team includes six dentists, one of whom is the principal dentist, four dental nurses, one of whom is a trainee, two dental hygiene therapists and two receptionists, one of whom is a qualified and practising dental nurse. The practice is led by the practice manager. The practice has three fully equipped treatment rooms. There are other treatment rooms for additional services provided, for example, facial aesthetics.

The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Freedom Dental is the practice manager at a sister practice, owned by the partnership. The practice manager of Freedom Dental was going through the process to register as the Registered Manager, at the time of our inspection.

On the day of inspection, we collected 46 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. All feedback was positive.

During the inspection we spoke with three dentists, two 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 from 8.30am to 1pm, and from 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday each week.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. One item of equipment for paediatric emergencies was missing at the time of inspection, but was acquired and added to emergency kit immediately after inspection.
• The practice had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider 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.
• Staff were providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.