Acorn Dental Also known as Acorn Dental

We carried out this announced inspection on 3 September 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

Barnt Green Dental Clinic is in the village of Barnt Green in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, 10 miles south of Birmingham city centre. The service provides private dental treatment to adults and children.

There is access for people who use wheelchairs and those with pushchairs by means of a portable ramp and flat board. Car parking spaces, including those for blue badge holders, are available in a free of charge shoppers car park at the rear of the practice.

The dental team includes four dentists, one visiting dentist, two dental nurses, one dental hygienist, a compliance manager and a practice manager. The practice has two treatment rooms.

The practice is owned by a company 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 Barnt Green Dental Centre is the compliance manager.

On the day of inspection, we collected 17 CQC comment cards filled in by patients.

During the inspection we spoke with one dentist, two dental nurses, the compliance manager and the practice manager. We looked at practice policies and procedures and other records about how the service is managed.

The practice is open:

Monday and Thursday from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Our key findings were:

• The practice appeared clean and well maintained.
• 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, with the exception of missing clear face masks for the self-inflating bag and an incorrect sized oxygen cylinder. These items were immediately ordered during the inspection.
• 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. We reviewed eight clinical care records and found that they were not consistently completed in accordance with guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• Staff provided preventive care and supported patients to ensure better oral health.
• The appointment system took account of patients’ needs.
• 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.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements. They should:

• Take action to ensure the clinicians take into account the guidance provided by the Faculty of General Dental Practice when completing dental care records.