A doctor's surgery in Maguiresbridge has received a Quality Practice Award in recognition of achieving high standards of patient care.

The award for outstanding general practice was awarded to Dr Michael Smyth's Surgery from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

The practice effectively becomes the eleventh practice in Northern Ireland to receive the award and becomes the first single handed practice to do so.

The Quality Practice Award (QPA) is a quality assurance process that is undertaken by GP practices and recognises a high standard of quality patient care delivered by every member of the practice team.

Each practice is required to submit a portfolio of written evidence set against 23 sets of criteria, including clinical care, health promotion, and continuity of care.

A panel of four assessors then visit the practice to interview the staff and make recommendations for continuing improvement.

A plaque to commemorate their achievement was presented to the Practice Team at the Royal College of General Practitioners' annual Celebration Evening. The presentation was made by Dr John O'Kelly, Vice-Chairman and QPA lead of the NI RCGP Quality Committee.