Watership Down Health, Basingstoke: patient reviews and CQC rating
Watership Down Health is a GP practice in Basingstoke with 19,385 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Hampshire and Isle of Wight: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2022. It has 11.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,715 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Watership Down Health
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 78%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 61%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 6 practices in Basingstoke with 50 or more responses. 78% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (87%). 123 patients answered the survey (response rate 43%).
| Survey question | Watership Down Health | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 91% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 78% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 58% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 97% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 91% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 97% | 87% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 97% | 86% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 918 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Watership Down Health is Good, published in August 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (April 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
19,385 patients were registered at Watership Down Health in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 11.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,715 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Hampshire and Isle of Wight's 2,039. The practice also has 3.6 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.6 | 11.7 |
| August 2024 | 8.8 | 11.0 |
| August 2025 | 10.8 | 11.9 |
| August 2026 | 11.3 | 12.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 11,926 appointments a month, or 615 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 42% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
65% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 12% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Watership Down Health | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 615 | 526 | 510 |
| Face to face | 42% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 12% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.7% against 1.2%), cancer (6.1% against 3.8%) and atrial fibrillation (3.3% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.5 years for women and 82.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.5% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.1% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 83.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.4% | 74.9% |
34% of the practice's patients live in the RG23 postcode district, followed by RG25 (27%), RG20 (22%) and RG19 (8%). 99% live in Basingstoke and Deane, the council area the practice is in.
Watership Down Health, The Surgery, Station Road, Overton, Basingstoke, RG25 3DU. Phone: 0333 034 1033. Website: www.oakleyandovertonsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Burdwood Surgery | 7.8 km | 85% |
| Tadley Medical Partnership | 7.8 km | 86% |
| Thatcham Health Centre | 8.7 km | 80% |
| Falkland Surgery | 8.8 km | 81% |
| Eastfield House Surgery | 9.4 km | 75% |
- Tadley Medical Partnership (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Watership Down Health?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of patients described their overall experience of Watership Down Health as good, above the England figure of 77%. 78% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Watership Down Health?
19,385 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Watership Down Health's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2022.
How many GPs does Watership Down Health have?
11.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (18 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,715 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Watership Down Health face to face?
42% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Watership Down Health's phone number?
0333 034 1033.