GP surgeries in Borehamwood and Elstree are among those judged least likely to offer poor care.

A report from the Care Quality Commission details the standards of important levels of care across thousands of GP surgeries nationwide.

Each NHS GP practice has been put into one of six bands, with Band 1 representing the highest and Band 6 the lowest priority for inspection.

Bands have been assigned based on the proportion of indicators that have been identified as a ‘risk’ or an ‘elevated risk’.

Of the five surgeries inspected by the commission in Borehamwood, Elstree and Radlett, three of these – which includes The Grove Medical Centre, Schopwick Surgery and The Red House clinic - fell under band six, while Fairbrook Medical Centre and Dr D Kapacee & Partners fell under band five.

Nationally, 49 per cent of surgeries examined fell under band six, with a further 14 per cent being categorised as band five.

In comparison, 32 per cent of surgeries in London fell under band six with 16.7 per cent under band five.

The 'intelligent monitoring' of practices are made up of different types of evidence, including patient experience, care and treatment, based on sources such as surveys and official statistics.

This helps the care commission decide how it should prioritise its inspections so that it can be confident that people receive care that is safe, caring, effective, responsive to their needs, and well-led.

Professor Steve Field, chief inspector of general practice, said: "There is a lot of good and outstanding care taking place across the country as our data and recent reports show.

"While it is positive that over 80 per cent of general practices are currently a low concern based on the available data, there is no reason for complacency and standards must continue to improve.

"It is important to remember that the data is not a judgement as it is only when we inspect we can determine if a practice provides safe, high-quality and compassionate care.”