This article explains how a primary care team transformed a run down general practice into a leading edge healthcare organisation by adopting the principles of the EFQM excellence model. The decisions surrounding the choice of approach, challenges faced, benefits achieved and lessons learned are all described in such a way that the reader may appreciate the issues which faced the members of the 15-man team. In particular, the practice team found that describing indicators of quality and gathering evidence to test out assumptions regarding performance were vital elements in the pursuit of a continuous improvement culture that was to benefit patients, staff and key stakeholders alike. Whilst an increase in workload was experienced in the early days, the knowledge that this was associated with improved performance made the efforts worthwhile and the team eager to adopt a regular, never-ending cycle of self-assessment and improvement.