AN innovative computer system which keeps staff at Bewdley Medical Centre up to date with the latest health news has scooped a top prize.

The 30-strong team at the centre received the Risk Management Award from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RGCP) for the development of the intranet system, which judges said "achieved collaboration, efficiency and quality for the practice".

The intranet - honoured as part of the RCGP's GP Enterprise Awards - updates staff via their computers about new initiatives and procedures as a safeguard in what judges described as an "increasingly litigious climate".

Dr Iain Inglis, who helped pioneer the scheme with practice manager and IT expert Richard Gunn, said: "We are all delighted. We used to have terrible problems with paperwork. The system really speeds things up."

The practice was awarded £3,000 which Dr Inglis said would go towards a staff training day.