We phoned the practice to give notice of our visit. We spoke with two people who used the service. We toured the premises, spoke with four staff, and the practice dentist. We looked at documents relating to the running of the practice.

People’s comments included “The dentist is very polite and very pleasant.” And “The Dentist is extremely thorough; she always tells me what she is going to do.”

We found that there were systems in place to keep the practice clean and hygienic including effective decontamination of instruments in accordance with guidelines.

Training and support were provided to maintain a safe service. Regular checks were made on machines and systems to ensure safety was maintained.

We met with three people who had treatment with Mrs Cheshankova.

One person told us that they had had a heart transplant, and that their dentist had liaised with the GP to ensure that they had safe treatment. Another told us how they had been offered choices of treatment. They said they had been pleased to be offered an appointment promptly, and asked whether they would like treatment from the hygienist on the same visit, or separately.

“They tell you about your options, and the prices”.

“They will fit you in if you have an emergency”.

People were appreciative of the hygienist who was employed by the practice. One person told us about the care of their relative who was physically frail, “The hygienist takes every care when helping her on to the treatment chair”.

“They make you feel welcome”.

“Excellent – the whole staff. Very efficiently run. They keep abreast of developments here, and tell me why as well as what needs to be done”.

There was easy access to the treatment rooms. A few steps lead to the reception area.