Ashburnham Road Surgery, Bedford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Ashburnham Road Surgery is a GP practice in Bedford with 4,121 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2019. It has 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,493 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Ashburnham Road Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 80%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 93%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 8th of the 17 practices in Bedford with 50 or more responses. 80% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 99 patients answered the survey (response rate 12%).
| Survey question | Ashburnham Road Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 80% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 74% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 70% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 84% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 82% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 68 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Ashburnham Road Surgery is Good, published in October 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,121 patients were registered at Ashburnham Road Surgery in September 2026, down 3.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
8% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,493 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 0.2 nurses and 0.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2024 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| August 2025 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| August 2026 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,289 appointments a month, or 555 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 78% were face to face (England: 63%). 29% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Ashburnham Road Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 555 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 78% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 29% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for diabetes (13.6% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for dementia (0.1% against 0.8%), atrial fibrillation (0.4% against 2.2%) and cancer (0.9% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 35.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.6 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 13.6% | 7.9% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 9.2% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.0% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.7% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.6% | 4.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 0.9% | 3.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.4% | 2.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 48.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 48.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 56.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.4% | 74.9% |
Ashburnham Road Surgery, 8, Ashburnham Road, Bedford, MK40 1DS. Phone: 01234 358411. Website: www.ashburnhamsurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Linden Road Surgery | 0.8 km | 87% |
| Queens Park Health Centre | 1.1 km | 64% |
| De Parys Medical Centre | 1.4 km | 68% |
| London Road Surgery | 1.6 km | 76% |
| Goldington Avenue Surgery | 1.7 km | 71% |
- King Street Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- Queens Park Health Centre (64% overall experience good)
- The Vale Medical Practice - Wootton (82% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Ashburnham Road Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Ashburnham Road Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 80% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Ashburnham Road Surgery?
4,121 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.4% on a year earlier.
What is Ashburnham Road Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2019.
How many GPs does Ashburnham Road Surgery have?
1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,493 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Ashburnham Road Surgery face to face?
78% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Ashburnham Road Surgery's phone number?
01234 358411.