We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 14 June 2016 to ask the practice the following key questions; Are services safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

Our findings were:

Are services safe?

We found this practice was providing safe care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services effective?

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services caring?

We found this practice was providing caring services in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services responsive?

We found this practice was providing responsive care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Are services well-led?

We found this practice was providing well-led care in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Background

Riverside dental practice is located in the main street of the village and on a main bus route. Located in one of the oldest listed buildings in the village. There are no specific parking facilities but there are nearby car parks or on road parking. Access for the disabled is limited, parking with a blue badge is permitted directly outside the practice but there is no wheelchair access as the surgeries are on the first floor. Patients with mobility problems can speak with receptionists who advise of the various options as to how the practice can assist.

The services provided at Riverside and wholly private for adults and NHS for children. All fees are displayed on the practice website and in information leaflets available in the practice for patients. The practice also offers a Domiciliary dental service where the dentist will visit patients who are unable to access the practice in their own homes or in local care homes.

The practice has two treatment rooms on the first floor, a waiting area and reception on the ground floor and a local decontamination unit on the third floor adjacent to the office. The practice has a team of clinicians with a variety of expertise and patients may see different clinicians for different parts of their treatment.

The practice has a principal dentist and another of the dentists is the practice manager and registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons 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 practice is open Monday, Wednesday & Thursday, 09:00am to 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.30pm. Tuesdays 09:00am to 1.00pm & 2.00pm -6.00pm. Fridays 08.30am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 5.00pm. Closed at weekends. Out of hours number available via website and answerphone.

We reviewed 36 CQC comment cards that had been left for patients to complete, prior to our visit, about the services provided. In addition we spoke with four patients on the day of our inspection. Feedback from patients was positive about the care they received from the practice. They commented staff put them at ease, listened to their concerns and provided an excellent service in which they had confidence in the dental care provided.

Our key findings were:

• There were systems in place to help ensure the safety of staff and patients. These included safeguarding children and adults from abuse, maintaining the required standards of infection prevention and control and responding to medical emergencies.

• The dental practice had effective clinical governance and risk management processes in place; including health and safety and the management of medical emergencies.

• The practice had a comprehensive system to monitor and continually improve the quality of the service; including through a detailed programme of clinical and non-clinical audits.

• Use of Loupes –These enable the clinician to have a magnified view of the operation site thus enabling extreme accuracy of treatment.

• The use of digital photography to explain treatments to patients while in the chair and manipulate images to show outcome of proposed treatment.

• Premises were well maintained and a tour of the building confirmed that good cleaning and infection control systems were in place. The treatment rooms were well organised and equipped, with good light and ventilation.

• There were systems in place to check all equipment had been serviced regularly, including the air compressor, autoclave, fire extinguishers, oxygen cylinder and the X-ray equipment.

• There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff who maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.

• Staff were up to date with current guidelines and the practice was led by a proactive principal dentist.

• Staff were kind, caring, competent and put patients at their ease.

• Patients commented they felt involved in their treatment and that it was fully explained to them.

• Common themes from the CQC comment cards were patients felt they received excellent care in a clean environment from a helpful practice team.

• Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.

When we visited Riverside Dental Practice we spoke to two dentists who were the registered providers, a dental nurse, a receptionist and a patient. We telephoned three other patients to ask them about the practice. We found that patients were satisfied with the treatment provided and would recommend the practice. Patients told us, "the dentist put me at ease she is a very good dentist", "I am very satisfied with the treatment" and "I would highly recommended the practice".

There was information about the practice and the treatments available in the waiting room. Patients had treatment plans and the dentist had discussed treatment options and any associated risks with them. All staff had been trained with regard to safeguarding adults and children and there were procedures to follow to protect patients.

The practice had infection control procedures and facilities available to complete the decontamination of instruments. We found that systems in the practice had been audited to help ensure that they were effective. People had completed quality surveys and the results had been positive about the practice.