We carried out this announced inspection on 4 April 2018 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

Maxident Clinic is located in the London Borough of Lewisham and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

There is level access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. A limited number of car parking spaces for blue badge holders are available at the front of the practice; as well as free parking available in the local streets.

The dental team includes seven dentists, five dental nurses, five trainee dental nurses, a dental hygienist, three receptionists, a practice manager, a book keeper and a cleaning operative. The practice has seven treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by an individual who is the principal dentist there. They have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the practice is run.

On the day of inspection we collected 39 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with a dentist, two dental nurses, a trainee dental nurse, a receptionist 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 - Thursday –8:00am – 8:00pm

Friday – 8:00am – 5:30pm

Saturday –9:00am – 2:00pm

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• The practice had infection control procedures which reflected 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 risk.
• The practice had suitable safeguarding processes and staff 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 care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The practice was providing preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.
• 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.
• The practice had suitable information governance arrangements.

Patients and visitors to the practice were treated with dignity and respect. Reception staff were professional, efficient and pleasant in their interactions with patients.

We spoke with three patients and one carer. The carer told us that she was given sufficient information of the treatment required to explain this to her client who she said was "treated kindly by caring staff".

The other patients told us that changing dentists within the practice hadn't been a problem. We were told by one service user that he had been coming to the practice for 35 years and now all his family came. He said he was "very happy and had recommended the practice to lots of people".