From Inadequate to Good: What Changed at This Cornwall GP Surgery?

Harris Memorial Surgery in Redruth makes big strides following CQC inspection

Harris Memorial Surgery in Redruth has been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following significant improvements that led to its removal from special measures.

The surgery, which provides care for around 6,300 patients in Cornwall, was previously rated ‘inadequate’ and had been told to make urgent improvements. A follow-up inspection in January found that those changes had been made.

Ratings Up Across the Board

As well as an upgraded overall rating, the CQC found that Harris Memorial Surgery had improved how well-led, effective and responsive it is, with all three areas now rated ‘good’. The surgery also retained its ‘good’ rating for how caring it is.

Cath Campbell, CQC’s Deputy Director of Operations in Gloucestershire, said:

“Our experience tells us when a service isn’t well-led it’s unlikely they are able to provide good care, which is what we found the last time we inspected Harris Memorial Surgery. However, at this most recent inspection, we found a significant improvement in leadership which was behind a lot of the changes we saw meaning people are now receiving safe and effective care.”

Better Systems, Better Experiences

Inspectors found that the surgery had addressed the three breaches of regulation identified in its previous inspection. These related to safe care and treatment, effective systems and processes, and safe recruitment practices.

Changes included new processes for prioritising people with urgent needs, better risk management, and improvements to how staff involve patients in their care.

Cath Campbell continued:

“One of the things that stood out, were process improvements that had been implemented to keep people safe. For example, staff now had a clear process for prioritising people with the most urgent needs. Leaders had also implemented systems to assess, monitor and manage other risks to people’s safety.”

She added:

“It was also good to see that staff now involved people in planning their own care. People consistently told us they felt listened to and were involved in decisions that affected them. One person shared how they’d been supported through a complex diagnosis, with staff making sure they understood all their options and told us they felt truly cared for throughout the process.”

Focus on Collaboration and Listening

The report also highlighted a positive shift in culture and leadership. Inspectors noted that staff felt supported, and people using the service reported good experiences.

“Leaders were also much more focused on external collaboration and had started working well with other agencies involved in people’s care to ensure good outcomes. This was particularly effective when planning transitions between services,” said Cath Campbell.

The surgery had introduced a clear vision and strategy for high-quality care, backed by an active patient participation group. Improvements made following feedback included updates to information displayed on the digital screen in the reception area.

Some Areas Still Need Work

Despite the overall progress, the CQC did flag a backlog of 333 new patient records waiting to be summarised. The surgery had already taken steps to resolve this.

Inspectors also found gaps in monitoring certain medicines, but once alerted, the practice acted quickly and put systems in place to stop it happening again.

Cath Campbell concluded:

“The staff and leaders at Harris Memorial Surgery should be proud of the hard work they’ve put in and the improvements they’ve made to people’s care. We’ll continue to monitor the service to ensure these improvements are sustained long term.”