STAFF at a Salisbury GP surgery are said to be "extremely proud" after inspectors rated the service as "outstanding".

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report rated St Ann Street Surgery, which also runs services at Porton, as outstanding in four out of five areas - effectiveness, care, responsiveness and leadership. Safety was rated "good".

A statement from the practice said: "This is a great tribute to all our wonderful staff both past and present, and a reward for the tremendous loyalty and hard work of the whole medical team and our excellent patient participation group who give us so much support.

"This is a very challenging time for general practice, especially in urban practices like ours which are facing ever rising demands and expectations.

"It is gratifying that the CQC recognised the outstanding work going on at St Ann Street surgery as being amongst the very best in the country and we will continue to do all we can to look after after patients to the highest possible standard."

Chief Inspector Steve Field, in his report, praised the practice for its "clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority".

He highlighted the practice's work in starting a community heart failure clinic so successful that health bosses at Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group extended it to the whole area.

Mr Field said: "The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, working with other local providers to share best practice. The practice worked with two other local practices to ensure frail patients over the age of 75 received domiciliary visits from the practice pharmacist and care co-ordinator to support them in the their social care needs and medicines management."

The report said feedback from patients about their care was "consistently positive" and "people's individual needs and preferences were central to the planning and delivery of tailored services".

The inspector recognised the "proactive innovative approaches" to understanding the needs of different groups of people for example starting three mental wellbeing courses, delivered by charity Active Plus.

He said: "The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the patient participation group."

The report also praised the "strong and visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements" and said complaints were "actively reviewed" and "lessons were shared and action was taken to improve safety in the practice".