The Castle Practice, Andover: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Castle Practice is a GP practice in Andover with 16,402 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in July 2016. It has 7.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,357 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Castle Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 68%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 84%, against 85% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 6 practices in Andover with 50 or more responses. 68% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (87%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | The Castle Practice | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 68% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 65% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 56% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 89% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 99% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 323 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Castle Practice is Good, published in July 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,402 patients were registered at The Castle Practice in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,357 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire's 2,110. The practice also has 4.0 nurses and 1.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.1 | 12.3 |
| August 2024 | 7.5 | 9.7 |
| August 2025 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| August 2026 | 7.0 | 10.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 11,749 appointments a month, or 716 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 49% were face to face (England: 63%). 60% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
61% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Castle Practice | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 716 | 556 | 510 |
| Face to face | 49% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 60% | 40% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.2 years for women and 80.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.6% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.4% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.6% | 74.9% |
The Castle Practice, Central Street, Ludgershall, Andover, SP11 9RA. Phone: 01264 790356. Website: www.thecastlepractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Andover Health Centre Medical Practice | 9.6 km | 82% |
| Charlton Hill Surgery | 9.8 km | 88% |
| Burbage Surgery | 10.9 km | 99% |
| St Marys Surgery | 11.0 km | 94% |
| Shepherds Spring Medical Centre | 11.0 km | 66% |
- St Melor House Surgery (95% overall experience good)
- The Barcroft Practice (74% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Castle Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of The Castle Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 68% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Castle Practice?
16,402 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is The Castle Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2016.
How many GPs does The Castle Practice have?
7.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,357 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Castle Practice face to face?
49% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Castle Practice's phone number?
01264 790356.