Failing GP surgery insists it has improved

A GP surgery said it had improved after it was found to have "serious failings" and a "toxic culture".

Lanchester Medical Centre was placed in special measures after it was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July 2025.

Inspectors found "serious leadership failings that jeopardised people's safety" at the site.

The surgery provides services for about 4,100 people and is run by Dr Harpreet Singh Kalra, who vowed to provide a better service for patients during a meeting of Durham County Council's health committee.

He said: "It's been extremely hard since this report came to us in July.

"It's been a learning curve for me and the team. It has been very unfortunate that we have had to go through this journey, but at the end of the day, we have tried our very best."

Patients and families have continued to raise concerns about the service provided, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The regulator first visited the practice in 2025 after whistleblowers and patients raised concerns.

Inspectors found it did not have enough qualified and experienced staff and did not control the risk of infection.

They also said the practice did not have effective systems in place to investigate complaints and raised concerns about staff wellbeing, bullying and a "toxic" culture.

The CQC also said the repeat prescriptions process was failing and people were at risk of harm as results were not being managed properly.

Several public meetings have taken place since the report was published, organised by Durham county councillor Alison Gray, of Lanchester ward, and a patient participation group.

During meetings in November patients said they had no confidence in the surgery's leadership.

Gray said: "We are in the middle of a formal complaint about Lanchester Medical Centre.

"This has been ongoing for 11 weeks with no response to date.

"In my constituents' view, the developments since the inspection have been negative and have added even more distress to the family."

Stephen Bowron, Reform councillor for Chilton, said the findings were "alarming", adding: "It's like going back to the 1970s."

Asked whether the practice is now fit for purpose, Kalra said: "My main aim is to ensure this practice can go from special measures to outstanding.

"I know that is a big step, but we are going to aim for that, and whatever it takes, I am going to do it."

He also said there had been "many mistakes by me" but he and his team were going in a "positive direction".

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