Essex Way Surgery, Benfleet: patient reviews and CQC rating
Essex Way Surgery is a GP practice in Benfleet with 5,434 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2015. It has 2.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,101 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Essex Way Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 88%, above the England figure of 77%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 42%, against 54% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 7 practices in Benfleet with 50 or more responses. 66% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 17 points higher than in 2025 (71%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Essex Way Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 42% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Essex Way Surgery is Good, published in October 2015. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,434 patients were registered at Essex Way Surgery in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,101 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 0.2 nurses and 1.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2024 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2025 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| August 2026 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,892 appointments a month, or 348 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 84% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
58% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Essex Way Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 348 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 84% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.5% against 0.8%) and palliative or supportive care needs (1.1% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (1.5% against 4.6%) and depression (6.8% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.7 years for women and 80.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.2% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.5% | 4.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 82.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.6% | 74.9% |
99% of the practice's patients live in the SS7 postcode district. 99% live in Castle Point, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| SS7 | 5,428 | 99% |
Essex Way Surgery, 34 Essex Way, Benfleet, SS7 1LT. Phone: 01268 792000.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| High Road Family Doctors | 0.5 km | 84% |
| Benfleet Surgery | 1.1 km | 90% |
| Dr Sukumaran and Partners | 2.2 km | 82% |
| Canvey Village Surgery | 2.9 km | 81% |
| Grace House Surgery | 3.0 km | 78% |
- Benfleet Surgery (90% overall experience good)
- Grace House Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- High Road Family Doctors (84% overall experience good)
- Rushbottom Lane Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- St Georges Medical Practice (58% overall experience good)
- The Hollies Surgery (42% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Essex Way Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Essex Way Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Essex Way Surgery?
5,434 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier.
What is Essex Way Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2015.
How many GPs does Essex Way Surgery have?
2.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,101 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Essex Way Surgery face to face?
84% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Essex Way Surgery's phone number?
01268 792000.