A BOSCOMBE surgery has won a national award for bringing together six GP practices in an area of 'deprivation'.

The Providence Surgery, which went from 5,000 patients to 30,000 picked up the award for integration innovation of the year at the National Association of Primary Care awards.

It also includes Crescent Surgery, Strouden Park Surgery, The Village Medical Practice, The Grove Surgery and Marine and Oakridge Partnership.

The awards celebrate high standards of care, dedication, integration and innovation and recognise people and teams who have gone the extra mile to provide improved patient care.

In commending the Providence Surgery, which comes under the South Coast Medical Group, judges paid attention to the development over the past five years from one site serving 5,000 people to seven sites serving 30,000.

"The PCH (primary care home) has helped to stabilise and unite a group of six GP practices which had been struggling with recruitment and retention of staff while serving a population with pockets of severe deprivation, substance abuse, addiction and mental health challenges.

"Following the redesign and introduction of new services, it has many integrated in-house teams including paramedics, the nursing and pharmacist team, a physiotherapist and musculoskeletal therapist, sonographer, consultant psychiatrist and in-house diagnostics. The PCH has transformed care for thousands of patients who now have increased access to a wide range of services."