A CARETAKER provider has now been awarded a five-year contract to run four formerly troubled GP practices in Clacton and Frinton - covering 24,000 patients. Frinton Road Medical Practice in Holland-on-Sea, Epping Close Surgery in Clacton, Green Elms Medical Centre in Jaywick and Caradoc in Frinton were previously run by Anglian Community Enterprise (ACE). The health care provider’s shortcomings - including patients being forced to wait more than 30 minutes on the phone to book appointments, order prescriptions and get test results - came under scrutiny after NHS bosses forced a change of management at Caradoc Surgery last year. ACE was warned to make improvements at the other three sites, which make up the Clacton Community Practice, but failing significant progress the successful Ranworth Surgery in Clacton, was brought in to run them on a 12-month caretaker contract.