The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care provided by a Malmesbury GP to be Outstanding.

Following an inspection in March 2016, the Malmesbury Medical Partnership, also known as the Malmesbury Primary Care Centre was found to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and a well-led service.

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice said: "I am delighted to highlight the exceptional service at Malmesbury Medical Partnership. People are entitled to services which provide safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care.

"The GPs and staff at Malmesbury Medical Partnership have demonstrated a real commitment to their patients.

"All of this hard work and dedication pays off in making a real difference for their patients - which is why we have found this practice to be Outstanding."

A number of innovative practices were commended by the commission, such as the GPs involvement with local providers and organisations to initiate an in house elderly frail service and working with the local wildlife trust to develop opportunities for patients with mental health problems.

Ruth Rankine, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice in CQC's south region said: "Our inspectors observed a strong patient-centered culture and found many positive examples to demonstrate how patients' choices and preferences were valued and acted on.

"There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels and the practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on."

The practice had made significant ground on diagnosing and treating patients with dementia, working with the practices care coordinator, the Alzheimer's society and a psychological course for patients and their carers.

As a result of their work, they reduced waiting times for assessment, diagnosis and time to start treatment from twelve months to one month. It has also reduced the number of patients requiring referral to secondary care by 65 per cent.