EASTLEIGH Surgery staff are celebrating after receiving a prestigious award at a ceremony held in London this week.

A team from the surgery developed the Westbury Mental Health Initiative in order to improve care for schizophrenia patients and their relatives.

About 35,000 people suffering from schizophrenia are admitted to hospital each year in Britain.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's 1997 Target Schizophrenia report estimated that, for every person with the condition, ten others are affected by its consequences.

The Westbury Health Initiative, led by Dr Richard Edwards, has put practices in place to support both sufferers and their carers.

Eastleigh Surgery has 30 patients with diagnosed schizophrenia. The project has set up a full register of these patients in order to streamline care within the surgery.

The practice has also instigated annual health checks for patients and carers. Protocols have been put into place for the management of medication and a strategy of communication between primary and secondary care physicians has been developed.

The team has also produced a Manual for Best Practice which can be used to extend the scheme to other surgeries.

Practice manager, Debbie Riddiford, said: "For most people their first port of call is their doctor's surgery. We are now better equipped to help and support them."

The annual Lilly Schizophrenia Reintegration Awards were introduced to recognise achievements in patient care and reintegration into the community.