The Adults, Wellbeing and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to discuss the findings of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection into Lanchester Medical Centre, alongside updates on Durham Mental Health Rehabilitation Services and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust's Breast Services Review. The committee will also receive an update on Adult Social Care.

Lanchester Medical Centre CQC Inspection Report

A significant portion of the meeting is expected to focus on the results of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of Lanchester Medical Centre. The inspection, which took place on 31 July 2025, resulted in the practice being rated as inadequate overall. The report highlights serious concerns across several areas, including safe care and treatment, effectiveness of care, responsiveness, and leadership.

The CQC found that patients were at risk of harm due to issues such as poor management of medicines and long-term conditions, inadequate safeguarding processes, and a lack of systems for patient safety alerts. The report also details concerns regarding the handling of test results and hospital letters, and a failure to follow national guidance, such as that from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The inspection also identified significant issues with leadership and governance, with staff reporting a poor and stressful workplace culture, and concerns about bullying and harassment. The practice was found to have ineffective systems for managing significant events and complaints.

The report indicates that the practice has been placed in special measures, a framework designed to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. The committee will be asked to receive this report and consider a proposed Improvement Action Plan for the practice. Colin Stephenson, Strategic Head of Primary Care (County Durham) for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), and Dr Kalra, the contract holder for Lanchester Medical Centre, are expected to attend to discuss the inspection findings and the proposed actions.

Durham Mental Health Rehabilitation Services Transformation

The committee is scheduled to receive an update on the proposed transformation of mental health rehabilitation services in Durham. This proposal aligns with national priorities to shift care from inpatient settings to community-based services. The plan involves reducing the number of inpatient rehabilitation beds from 35 to 20, consolidating them at Lustrum Vale in Stockton, and consequently closing the Primrose Lodge rehabilitation unit in Durham.

The financial savings generated from this change are intended to be reinvested into strengthening community rehabilitation services and enhancing multidisciplinary team (MDT) capacity within the remaining inpatient units. This approach aims to improve patient outcomes, deliver care closer to home, and ensure more efficient use of resources. The proposal also addresses environmental and safety concerns at Primrose Lodge and is supported by demand modelling and analysis of patient flow. Engagement with patients, staff, and stakeholders has informed the development of this plan.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust Breast Services Review Update

An update will be provided on the review of breast services at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. Following a report from the Royal College of Surgeons in March 2025, the Trust has undertaken a complete review and redesign of its breast service. This has involved the appointment of an experienced external oncoplastic breast surgeon to lead the transformation and the recruitment of two new specialist oncoplastic consultant surgeons.

The service has moved to a modern, guideline-driven model of care, with all patients now discussed by a full team of specialists. The Trust has also modernised its one-stop breast assessment clinics and is upgrading its breast imaging technology. Changes have already led to a fall in the number of women needing a mastectomy to the national average, a tripling of immediate breast reconstruction rates, and a halving of the need for second operations to fully remove cancer. The update will likely cover the progress of patient reviews, helpline calls and emails, and ongoing actions to address waiting times for first appointments.

Adult Social Care Update

The committee will receive an update on the development of an Adult Social Care Strategy for 2025-2028 and the associated Service Improvement Plan. The development of this strategy was highlighted as beneficial by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its 2024 assessment. The strategy focuses on the needs of people who use adult social care services, aiming to ensure equity of experience and to strengthen preventative activity within the county.

The strategy, which was approved by Cabinet in January 2026, is structured around three priority themes: prevention, involvement, and equity of experience and outcomes. The Service Improvement Plan will act as the delivery plan for the strategy and will be monitored through established governance arrangements. The update will likely cover the progress of the strategy's implementation and the ongoing work to refine its approaches.