Hightown Surgery, Banbury: patient reviews and CQC rating
Hightown Surgery is a GP practice in Banbury with 12,471 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Thames Valley: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in March 2017. It has 6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,987 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Hightown Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 66%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 62%, against 69% across England. With 118 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 8 practices in Banbury with 50 or more responses. 57% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 118 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Hightown Surgery | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 57% | 56% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 57% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 52% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 72% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 340 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Hightown Surgery is Good, published in March 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (August 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,471 patients were registered at Hightown Surgery in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,987 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Thames Valley's 2,121. The practice also has 3.9 nurses and 4.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.1 | 6.6 |
| August 2024 | 5.3 | 6.4 |
| August 2025 | 5.8 | 8.0 |
| August 2026 | 6.3 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,353 appointments a month, or 590 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 49% were face to face (England: 63%). 45% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
43% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Hightown Surgery | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 590 | 451 | 510 |
| Face to face | 49% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (4.3% against 1.2%), dementia (1.2% against 0.8%) and cancer (5.2% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for chronic kidney disease (3.1% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.8 years for women and 80.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.3% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 4.3% | 1.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.1% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.1% | 74.9% |
Hightown Surgery, Hightown Gardens, Banbury, OX16 9DB. Phone: 01295 270722.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Banbury Cross Health Centre | 0.7 km | 68% |
| Dr Wignell and Partners | 1.0 km | 66% |
| Woodlands Surgery | 2.1 km | 80% |
| Bloxham Surgery | 4.4 km | 89% |
| Cropredy Surgery | 7.4 km | 98% |
- Dr Wignell and Partners (66% overall experience good)
- Woodlands Surgery (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Hightown Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Hightown Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 57% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Hightown Surgery?
12,471 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Hightown Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2017.
How many GPs does Hightown Surgery have?
6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,987 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Hightown Surgery face to face?
49% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Hightown Surgery's phone number?
01295 270722.