Willesborough Health Centre, Ashford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Willesborough Health Centre is a GP practice in Ashford with 38,070 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2023. It has 10.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,666 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Willesborough Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 61%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 26%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 10 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 10th of the 13 practices in Ashford with 50 or more responses. 26% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 14 points higher than in 2025 (53%). 158 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Willesborough Health Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 67% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 26% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 42% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 55% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 46% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 68% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 68% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 84% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 81% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 87% of 148 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Willesborough Health Centre is Good, published in February 2023. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (January 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
38,070 patients were registered at Willesborough Health Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
13% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,666 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 8.3 nurses and 4.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.6 | 9.6 |
| August 2024 | 10.1 | 13.1 |
| August 2025 | 11.9 | 13.5 |
| August 2026 | 10.4 | 12.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 13,251 appointments a month, or 348 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
34% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Willesborough Health Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 348 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (20.3% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%), peripheral arterial disease (0.4% against 0.6%) and coronary heart disease (2.0% against 3.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.9 years for women and 78.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.0% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 68.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 68.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.2% | 74.9% |
Willesborough Health Centre, Bentley Road, Willesborough, Ashford, TN24 0HZ. Phone: 01233 621626. Website: www.willesboroughhealthcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Sydenham House Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 69% |
| New Hayesbank Surgery | 2.8 km | 84% |
| Kingsnorth Medical Practice | 3.2 km | 88% |
| Dr Miles and Partners | 5.4 km | 89% |
| Sellindge Surgery | 8.1 km | 64% |
How do patients rate Willesborough Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of patients described their overall experience of Willesborough Health Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 26% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Willesborough Health Centre?
38,070 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Willesborough Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2023.
How many GPs does Willesborough Health Centre have?
10.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (18 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,666 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Willesborough Health Centre face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Willesborough Health Centre's phone number?
01233 621626.