Thornhills Medical Practice, Aylesford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Thornhills Medical Practice is a GP practice in Aylesford with 14,683 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 70% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2017. It has 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,710 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Thornhills Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 93%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 32%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
32% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (59%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | Thornhills Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 70% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 32% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 42% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 52% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 75% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 58% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 57% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 98 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Thornhills Medical Practice is Good, published in February 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
14,683 patients were registered at Thornhills Medical Practice in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,710 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 5.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| August 2024 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
| August 2025 | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| August 2026 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,059 appointments a month, or 345 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 84% were face to face (England: 63%). 26% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
49% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Thornhills Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 345 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 84% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 26% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (5.0% against 3.8%), depression (18.3% against 14.3%) and diabetes (9.7% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.7% against 1.2%) and dementia (0.5% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.9 years for women and 80.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.1% | 74.9% |
Thornhills Medical Practice, Larkfield Health Centre, Martin Square, Larkfield, Aylesford, ME20 6QJ. Phone: 0844 477 3646. Website: www.thornhillsmedical.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Aylesford Medical Centre | 2.5 km | 50% |
| Snodland Medical Practice | 2.9 km | 65% |
| West Malling Group Practice | 4.1 km | 64% |
| Phoenix Medical Practice | 4.2 km | 58% |
| Blackthorn Medical Centre | 4.8 km | 83% |
- Phoenix Medical Practice (58% overall experience good)
- Snodland Medical Practice (65% overall experience good)
- Wateringbury Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- West Malling Group Practice (64% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Thornhills Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 70% of patients described their overall experience of Thornhills Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 32% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Thornhills Medical Practice?
14,683 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is Thornhills Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2017.
How many GPs does Thornhills Medical Practice have?
8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (13 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,710 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Thornhills Medical Practice face to face?
84% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Thornhills Medical Practice's phone number?
0844 477 3646.