A GP practice in Witney has become only the third in the whole of Oxfordshire to receive the best possible rating from the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors visited the Windrush Medical Practice in Welch Way on Thursday, May 5 and in a newly-published report have pronounced it 'outstanding'.

It was awarded the top score for safe, effective and well-led services, and a 'good' rating for caring and responsive services.

Dr Paul Watson, a senior partner and GP at the practice, said: “We are delighted to have our services recognised as outstanding by the CQC .

"This is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff team. We are pleased to see our ongoing work with patients and local partners has been recognised positively.

"We will continue to ensure that the primary care services we provide are of the highest possible quality for the benefit of our patients.”

In the report, staff at Windrush were praised for quickly raising concerns and reporting incidents or near-misses as well as sharing emails and photographs with Witney Community Hospital to reduce the need for patients to travel to outpatient clinics. Facilities were also described as "modern and well-maintained".

The practice currently has 10 registered doctors and caters for more than 14,500 patients in the area.

Jan Fowler, director of nursing and quality for NHS England South Central, said: "I congratulate Windrush Medical Practice on their outstanding rating, which is a great achievement. The practice was found to be innovative and proactive, working with local providers to share best practice.

"The practice was also recognised for the work it has done with local organisations and the community to plan how best to meet patient needs, including arranging for visiting services such as audiology and orthopaedics to run clinics at the practice. Patient feedback was also found to be consistently positive."

The victory for Windrush comes hot on the heels of another 'outstanding' rating awarded to the Luther Street Medical Centre in Oxford.

The Luther Street practice provides primary health care services for homeless and vulnerably-housed people over the age of 16, and was rated outstanding for its caring and responsive services, with CQC inspectors noting that all staff had received basic life support training and visited homeless patients in remote locations.

In January 2015 Dr GAM Burnett and Partners in Sonning Common became the first GP in the county to be rated 'outstanding'.