When we inspected Queensbury Dental Practice on 25 November 2013, we found that people were not fully protected against the risks associated with unsafe or unsuitable premises. This was because, in some instances, the adequate maintenance and proper operation of the premises was lacking. We judged this to have a minor impact on people using the service.

We inspected the service again, to check improvements had been made. During this inspection, we saw that the toilet facilities had been refurbished. Both the staff and patient toilets appeared modern, fully fitted and clean. In both toilets, people had access to sinks with hot and cold water supplied through mixer taps. We found that staff and patients had access to safe and suitable facilities.

During our inspection of Queensbury Dental Practice on 25 November 2013, we found the provider had built a dedicated decontamination facility containing the appropriate equipment to clean and sterilise instruments after each use. The room also contained appropriate and dedicated hand wash facilities and storage space. The staff we spoke with were trained and knowledgeable in its use. We saw records demonstrating both the autoclaves (instrument sterilisers) were tested to ensure they were operating effectively.

We found that staff were flushing (a process of running water and disinfectant through the lines to prevent bacterial growth) the dental unit water lines (DUWLs) daily. They demonstrated a good understanding of how and why they completed the flushing process and the equipment/products they used to complete the task.

We saw that the service had an infection control audit process in place and overall there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

However, we found that the hot water temperature in some parts of the premises presented a scalding risk. Also, the only operational toilet for staff and patients was not fit for purpose, and did not ensure people had access to a safe and suitable facility.

The people we spoke with said they received very good explanations and relevant advice about their care from the dentists. They told us they had the opportunity to ask questions and felt these were answered well. People told us they felt the surgery was clean. They said they had confidence the dentists were competent professionals and had never needed to complain about the service. One person said of Queensbury Dental Practice: "I'm very happy with the quality of service here." Another person said: "They are professional and friendly. I wouldn't go anywhere else."

During our visit we found each individual's chronology of treatment and any significant discussions had with them to be documented. We found that each individual had their medical history and any risk factors specific to them reviewed and recorded. We saw that arrangements were in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies, including the provision of items for use in an emergency. We found that staff were appropriately registered and receiving professional development relevant to their roles. We saw the treatment rooms were clean. However, the decontamination facilities were not fit for purpose, and some processes designed to prevent the risk of infection were lacking or did not meet specification.

We found the service had a complaints system in place and information about the procedure was available to people who use the service. People had their complaints responded to appropriately.