Harrold Medical Practice, Bedford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Harrold Medical Practice is a GP practice in Bedford with 6,661 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in July 2016. It has 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,353 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Harrold Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 87%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 37%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 17 practices in Bedford with 50 or more responses. 87% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (95%). 151 patients answered the survey (response rate 45%).
| Survey question | Harrold Medical Practice | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 87% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 37% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 72% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Harrold Medical Practice is Good, published in July 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,661 patients were registered at Harrold Medical Practice in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,353 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 1.8 nurses and 5.2 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 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2025 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2026 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,264 appointments a month, or 640 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 97% were face to face (England: 63%). 62% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
37% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 1% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Harrold Medical Practice | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 640 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 97% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 62% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 1% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%), cancer (6.4% against 3.8%) and atrial fibrillation (3.5% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.2% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 87.0 years for women and 81.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.0% | 74.9% |
Harrold Medical Practice, Peach's Close, Harrold, Bedford, MK43 7DX. Phone: 01234 720225.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Sharnbrook Surgery | 5.8 km | 83% |
| Priory Medical Practice | 7.8 km | 82% |
| Cobbs Garden Surgery | 8.4 km | 89% |
| Dr Barber and Partners | 9.0 km | 80% |
| Irchester Surgery | 9.3 km | 72% |
- Cobbs Garden Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- Goldington Avenue Surgery (71% overall experience good)
- Great Barford Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- Priory Medical Practice (82% overall experience good)
- Sharnbrook Surgery (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Harrold Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of Harrold Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 87% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Harrold Medical Practice?
6,661 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Harrold Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2016.
How many GPs does Harrold Medical Practice have?
2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,353 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Harrold Medical Practice face to face?
97% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Harrold Medical Practice's phone number?
01234 720225.