We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 29 June 2015 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 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.

W5 Dental Care Limited is located in Ealing, London. The practice provides private dental services to adults and children. The practice offers a range of dental services including routine examinations and treatment, veneers, crowns and bridges and oral hygiene.

The premises are arranged over the ground floor and basement and include two treatment rooms, one of which is primarily used by the dental hygienist and a dedicated decontamination room. All the areas used by patients are located on the ground floor. The practice has a reception area with seating and patient and staff toilets.

The practice is staffed by one principal dentist, (who is the owner), and four part-time associate and specialist dentists including a periodontist and an endodontist. The practice employs two practice nurses who also work on reception. The practice also contracts a part-time dental hygienist.

The practice is open Monday to Friday and offers an evening session on Tuesday until 8pm. The practice also opens one Saturday each month by appointment.

The principal dentist was the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

We carried out an announced, comprehensive inspection on 29 June 2015. The inspection took place over one day and was carried out by a CQC inspector and a dentist specialist advisor.

Twenty patients provided feedback about the service. Patients we spoke with, and those who completed comment cards, were all positive about the care they received from the practice. Patients frequently described the service as excellent and told us the staff were friendly and involved them in their care.

Our key findings were:

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned in line with best practice guidance, such as from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

• Equipment, such as the air compressor, autoclave (steriliser), fire extinguishers, oxygen cylinder and X-ray equipment had all been checked for effectiveness and had been regularly serviced.

• The practice ensured staff maintained the necessary skills and competence to support the needs of patients.

• Patients indicated that they felt they were listened to and that they received good care from a helpful and patient practice team.

• The practice had implemented clear procedures for managing comments, concerns or complaints.

• The principal dentist had a clear vision for the practice and staff told us they were well supported by the management team.

• Governance arrangements and audits were effective in improving the quality and safety of the services, though improvements could be made to ensure risks were better monitored and mitigated.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and should:

• Review its protocols regarding receipt of Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advice to ensure the practice receives relevant updates and can act upon these in a timely way.
• Develop a practice protocol for reporting drug reactions or other side effects to the British Formulary.
• Review the practice’s infection control procedures and protocols giving due regard to guidelines issued by the Department of Health - Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices and The Health and Social Care Act 2008: ‘Code of Practice about the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’.
• Review practice policies periodically to ensure these reflect current practice and guidelines.
• Include a check in its staffing and recruitment procedures to ensure that the dental nurses are covered by appropriate professional indemnity insurance.