A study of doctors records revealed inconsistent treatment levels for various medical conditions, including mental health issues, with only Milton Keynes and Slough recording worse scores.

Doctors in Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford have also been struggling to cope with levels of heart disease, strokes and epilepsy, but the local area appears to be coping well with levels of cancer, diabetes and asthma – which are all rising sharply.

The large urban areas of Milton Keynes, Reading and Slough are the unhealthiest in the Thames Valley, while Bracknell, Banbury and Henley are the healthiest.

The largest survey of NHS doctors also revealed that all of the Newbury area’s 11 doctors’ surgeries passed the government tests. Measuring records, communications, training, management and medicine, five of the local surgeries – Falkland, Lambourn, St John’s, Hungerford and Thatcham – achieved full marks.

Northcroft was worst locally for managing patient records, scoring 53%, while Chapel Row at Bucklebury scored 61%. Nationally, GP practices scored 91%, but in Newbury Primary Care Trust they scored 97%, which could net the best practices £75,000 in cash.