Enter and view: Camelford Medical Centre

Healthwatch Cornwall carried out an enter and view visit to Camelford Medical Centre on 13 January 2026. The purpose of the visit was to observe how the service operates, gather patient and staff feedback, and identify areas for improvement.

The medical centre provides primary care services to approximately 6,700 patients from a purpose-built site near Camelford town centre, as well as two branch surgeries in North Cornwall. The practice is newly registered as an independent provider and has not yet been inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Overall, the visit found that both observations and feedback were largely positive. The facility was easy to locate, with good parking availability, including disabled spaces. The reception area was well organised, and staff were observed to be calm, helpful, and responsive to patients, including assisting those using the self-check-in system.

Patient feedback was very positive about the quality of care and staff attitudes. Patients frequently described staff as kind, caring, and going above and beyond expectations. However, several patients reported difficulty getting through on the phone to book appointments, often experiencing long waits. Some preferred to visit the practice in person instead. The electronic booking system worked well for some patients, although one reported an error with the check-in screen that caused a missed appointment. Access to nearby branch surgeries and free parking were also highlighted as benefits.

Staff feedback was also positive, with employees describing the practice as supportive and enjoyable to work in, with a strong team culture. However, some administrative challenges were noted, particularly around accessing patient test results across different hospital systems in Devon and Cornwall. Staff also observed that limited use of the electronic booking system by some patients contributed to high phone demand.

Management reported that the practice is now financially stable after previous challenges and has developed a cohesive team despite staff changes. The main ongoing issue identified was the condition of the building, which requires updating, although funding for improvements or a new facility may be difficult to secure.

The report made several recommendations, including updating outdated signage, improving the reliability of the check-in system, encouraging wider use of digital booking tools, reviewing telephone wait times, improving access to test results across hospitals, and ensuring hand sanitiser is consistently available.

In response, the provider confirmed that the external signage is being updated, issues with booking systems are under investigation, and processes have been introduced to regularly check and refill the hand sanitiser.