Berkeley Dental

We carried out this announced inspection on 20 August 2019 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

Berkeley Dental is in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and provides NHS and private treatment to adults and children.

The practice is located on the ground floor of a Victorian villa on a residential street. A portable ramp is used to gain access to the premises for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs. The practice does not have designated parking, however it can provide patients with parking permits to use during their appointments. Car parking is also available in nearby commercial car parks.

The dental team includes one dentist, two dental nurses who also work on reception, and one dental hygienist. The practice has one treatment room.

The practice is owned by a partnership 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 Berkeley Dental is the principal dentist.

On the day of inspection, we collected fourteen CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, one dental nurse, a locum receptionist and a self-employed compliance advisor. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open: Monday from 8.30am to 7pm, Tuesday from 8.30am to 3pm, Wednesday from 8.30 to 1pm, Thursday from 10am to 6pm and Friday from 8.30am to 1pm. It is also open one Saturday a month from 9am to 1pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained. There was a plan in place to replace the worn flooring and chairs.
• The provider had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available. We noted that not all sizes of clear face masks for self-inflating bags were held. These were ordered during the inspection to be delivered the following day. The provider had systems to help them manage risk to patients and staff.
• The provider had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
• The provider 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.
• Staff provided preventive care and supporting patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs. Patients benefitted from a 24 hour reception line, which meant that the on call dentist could call them back to provide support over the telephone or book in an emergency appointment.
• The provider had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The provider asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The provider dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The provider had suitable information governance arrangements.