The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded the rating of Lanchester Medical Centre in County Durham from inadequate to requires improvement overall, but inspectors found the practice 'did not care about the wellbeing of some staff'.
Inspection findings
The Durham Road practice, run by Dr Harpreet Singh Kalra, was placed into special measures after a damning inspection in July 2025. Following an inspection from 21 to 23 April, the CQC found some improvements but continued breaches in relation to complaints and good management.
CQC imposed conditions on its registration after the July inspection, meaning Dr Kalra did not provide any regulated activities from the centre from 12 August until 14 November 2025. This was extended until January 2026, during which another organisation provided services. At the time of the April inspection, Dr Kalra had only taken back sole control for a few weeks.
Rating changes
The CQC improved the ratings for safe, responsive and well-led from inadequate to requires improvement. Effective improved from inadequate to good. Caring was re-rated as requires improvement.
Areas of improvement
Inspectors noted improvements in the care of people with long-term conditions, monitoring medicines, assessing health needs, and staffing levels. The practice added two longer-term locum GPs and recruited an advanced nurse practitioner.
Persistent concerns
However, the service did not always listen to safety concerns or fully investigate incidents. The complaints system remained ineffective, with leaders lacking oversight. The CQC found the service 'did not care about the wellbeing of some of its staff' and leaders did not always support them, leaving staff feeling stressed. Information about people likely to experience inequalities was not always considered.
ICB response
A spokesperson for NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board said: 'We're pleased that the Care Quality Commission has recognised the progress the practice has made since its previous inspection. While this latest rating shows that improvements have been made, we recognise there is still more to do.'
The report will be published on the CQC website in the next few days.
