A GP surgery with more than 7,800 patients on its books has shown improvements after being rated inadequate by the health watchdog.

The London Road Medical Centre in Sittingbourne was visited by officials from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April - the first inspection since it was taken over by Dr Tessa Monelle in October 2018.

Before then, in July 2017, the CQC rated the practice as ‘inadequate’ and placed it in special measures.

In its most recent inspection, officials said the medical centre was ‘good’ in terms of its effectiveness, care and responsiveness to patients’ needs.

However, it still requires improvement when it comes to leadership and patient safety.

Those concerns related to a shortage of suitably qualified staff and lack of processes to manage risks relating to fire, infection control and medicines.

In the report, published at the end of last month, inspectors said: “Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs. Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.”

Inspectors added: “The practice clinical team promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.”

To make further improvements, officials said the surgery must “establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care,” and ensure the staffing situation is addressed.

You can read the full report here.

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne

To keep up-to-date with all the latest developments with your local hospitals and other health stories, click here.