Marston Forest Healthcare, Bedford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Marston Forest Healthcare is a GP practice in Bedford with 10,489 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Central East: 75%). It has 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,328 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Marston Forest Healthcare
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 75%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 65%, below the England figure of 77%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 16th of the 17 practices in Bedford with 50 or more responses. 53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 13 points higher than in 2025 (52%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Marston Forest Healthcare | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 65% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 49% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 46% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 63% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 75% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 86% of 179 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
10,489 patients were registered at Marston Forest Healthcare in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,328 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 2.0 nurses and 3.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.9 | 6.0 |
| August 2024 | 5.4 | 8.6 |
| August 2025 | 4.0 | 7.8 |
| August 2026 | 3.2 | 5.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,471 appointments a month, or 903 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 39% were face to face (England: 63%). 70% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
63% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Marston Forest Healthcare | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 903 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 39% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 70% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.1% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for peripheral arterial disease (0.3% against 0.6%), serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%) and chronic kidney disease (3.2% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.2 years for women and 80.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.1% | 74.9% |
Marston Forest Healthcare, 59 Bedford Road, Marston Moretaine, Bedford, MK43 0LA. Phone: 01234 750234.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Vale Medical Practice - Wootton | 3.6 km | 82% |
| Greensand Surgery - Ampthill | 5.6 km | 83% |
| Houghton Close Surgery | 5.7 km | 79% |
| King Street Surgery | 7.1 km | 75% |
| Flitwick Surgery | 7.5 km | 77% |
- Flitwick Surgery (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Marston Forest Healthcare?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of patients described their overall experience of Marston Forest Healthcare as good, below the England figure of 77%. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Marston Forest Healthcare?
10,489 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
How many GPs does Marston Forest Healthcare have?
3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,328 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Marston Forest Healthcare face to face?
39% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Marston Forest Healthcare's phone number?
01234 750234.