We carried out this announced inspection on 3 July 2017 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

Mydentist - Dunstable Road – Luton is in Luton and provides NHS and private treatment to patients of all ages.

The access is up several steep stairs and so would prove difficult for people who use wheelchairs and pushchairs. Car parking spaces are not available on site. The nearest car park is within a five minute walk.

The dental team includes six dentists (one of whom is a specialist orthodontist), five dental nurses, one dental hygienist, a practice manager and four receptionists. The practice has four treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company 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 Mydentist - Dunstable Road – Luton was the practice manager.

On the day of inspection we collected 19 CQC comment cards filled in by patients. This information gave us a positive view of the practice.

During the inspection we spoke with two dentists, two dental nurses, two receptionists, the practice manager and the company compliance manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. 8 am to 5 pm on a Tuesday, 8 am to 8 pm on a Thursday and 8.30 am to 2 pm on a Saturday.

Our key findings were:

• The practice was 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; improvements could be made to the timeliness in which identified risks were actioned.
• 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 appointment system met patients’ needs.
• The practice had effective leadership. 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.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Review the practice's risk assessments and ensure the necessary actions are implemented in a timely manner.

• Review the practice’s audit protocols to ensure that audits have documented learning points and the resulting improvements can be demonstrated.

We visited ADP Dental Company – Luton on 7 February 2013 and found the practice was welcoming and displayed clear information for people. Information included how the practice operated, treatments available and associated costs to people who used the service. Patient feedback forms were also readily available in the waiting area for people to complete and return about their experiences.

At the time of our visit, two NHS dentists and one private dentist worked within the practice, alongside four dental nurses. The practice was hoping to recruit an orthodontist in the near future.

We observed positive, friendly interactions between staff and people using the service. We also spoke with two people using the service about their experiences, both who told us they were very happy with the care and treatment provided. They told us they had used the practice for a number of years.

We found the practice was well signed posted for people and offered two access routes dependent on people’s mobility. We did note that there was no wheelchair access which we discussed with the manager during our visit. It was explained that due to the age and design of the building, this had not been possible to amend. However, we were also told that no-one who used the service had mobility difficulties which prevented them from being able to access the practice. Hand rails were in place to assist people where needed.