CLACTON MP Giles Watling has called for more to be done to improve a surgery in Frinton despite recent progress.

Mr Watling previously lambasted the “appalling” Care Navigation telephone system used by Anglian Community Enterprise at four of its surgeries in Tendring, including Caradoc Surgery, in Station approach, Frinton.

Patients have been left angry at being forced to wait more than 30 minutes to book appointments, order prescriptions and get test results.

Mr Watling had asked the Government what can be done to hold Anglian Community Enterprise, which runs the surgeries, to account after his calls for the Care Quality Commission to take action were not heeded.

Earlier this year the surgery received a “good” rating by the CQC in the safety category - an improvement on the previous year.

However it received an “inadequate” rating in effectiveness and three “requires improvement” ratings for being caring, responsive and well-led.

Mr Watling said during a recent conversation with the new accountable officer for the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Ed Garrett, he was told that new performance measures were being imposed and new investments being made to ensure “greater GP capacity”.

Mr Watling said he has now been contact by patients to say improvements have been made at the surgery.

One said: “It did take 25 minutes to get through, but I was given an appointment with a GP at Caradoc Surgery that morning.

“After seeing the GP I was referred to see a dermatologist and I saw them within one week of my appointment with the doctor.”

Mr Watling said he was pleased to hear about signs of improvement at Caradoc, which is now opening until 8pm, and he welcomed the new on-line prescription service and a new pharmacy.

But he added: “While I welcome these improvements, ACE must do more, and improvement needs to be universal across all of their practices.

“So, I will continue to pressure ACE on this and, reassuringly, I have heard similar positive stories from patients at other surgeries.

“Nevertheless, I am still contacted about, increasingly isolated, incidents of poor practice at some ACE surgeries and I’d ask that constituents continue to raise their experiences, both good and bad, with me so we can continue to track and improve these vital services for all residents.”

ACE also runs Jaywick’s Green Elms, Epping Close Surgery in Clacton and Frinton Road surgery, in Holland-on-Sea.