A GP surgery in Dovercourt with more than 4,000 patients has been taken out of special measures by health watchdogs, but has been told it still “requires improvement”.

Fronks Road Surgery had been branded as “inadequate” in March by the Care Quality Commission and was placed in special measures.

The watchdog found the practice lacked recent safeguarding training and infection control leadership, and that medicines were not stored at the correct temperature or monitored.

But a new report published this week says the surgery has been taken out of special measures.

Professor Steve Field, the CQC’s chief inspector of general practice, said concerns were raised last November and, after being rated as inadequate overall, the surgery was placed in special measures and was issued with warning notices to improve by March 11.

The surgery wrote to the CQC in March to say it had addressed all the failings, following which the CQC brought forward its inspection to May.

A report published this week found improvements had been made at the surgery, including reviews of policies and procedures and improvements to infection control practice.

But the surgery has been told it must still make improvement in how it acts on patient feedback to improve patient satisfaction and must continue to develop the practice system for policies and procedures and keep them updated.

Mr Field added: “I am taking this service out of special measures. This recognises the significant improvements the provider has made to the quality of care provided by this practice.”

The report was one of 100 published by the CQC on Monday.

Mr Field said: “I am glad to say that we have increasingly found that most practices that are placed in special measures use the support that is on offer to meet the standard.”

The surgery, which is run by Dr Stuart Child, had not responded at the time of going to press.