Audit and Protocols
We look regularly at the care we provide for certain chronic health problems. Protocols set out the care we plan to provide. Audit examines the care we are actually providing to identify when our care does not meet the standards we have set and to improve by targeting those patients for whom care could be improved. Some of these audits are included here. The audit reports in no way identify individual patients.

Clinical Governance
The practice is involved in the west area clinical governance programme, part of the NHS programme to improve standards. We are examining the work of the practice to ensure that it is of the highest standard. Further details of the areas covered by the clinical governance programme.

New Contract for General Practice 2006
The new contract for general practice lays down detailed criteria against which practice performance can be judged together with standards to be met. Full details of the criteria to be met in management of chronic disease and organisation of the practice are shown in this section.

Quality Practice Award
The practice was awarded the Royal College of General Practitioners Quality Practice Award in 2001. It took about 18 months of work by all members of the practice team examining the quality of the work we do. The award covered 18 different areas of the practice activity involving clinical care, administration and the work of other staff attached to the practice. We decided not to renew our application for the award in 2006 because the amount of work involved in the process would detract from services offered and because most of the criteria for the award have been incorporated into the new contract. Full details of the criteria that we had to meet are shown here.