Whitecliff Surgery, Blandford Forum: patient reviews and CQC rating
Whitecliff Surgery is a GP practice in Blandford Forum with 23,404 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in January 2023. It has 12.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,911 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Whitecliff Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 97%, above the England figure of 90%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 42%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
42% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (78%). 182 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | Whitecliff Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 73% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 42% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 55% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 46% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 666 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Whitecliff Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in January 2023. 3 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (September 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
23,404 patients were registered at Whitecliff Surgery in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 12.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,911 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 9.3 nurses and 10.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 10.9 | 12.9 |
| August 2024 | 12.8 | 14.6 |
| August 2025 | 11.9 | 13.7 |
| August 2026 | 12.2 | 14.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 17,337 appointments a month, or 741 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 56% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
22% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Whitecliff Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 741 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.0% against 4.6%), atrial fibrillation (3.8% against 2.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.9% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.1 years for women and 81.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 74.9% |
Whitecliff Surgery, White Cliff Mill Street, Blandford Forum, DT11 7BH. Phone: 01258 452501. Website: www.whitecliffpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Milton Abbas Surgery | 8.7 km | 99% |
| The Blackmore Vale Partnership | 12.4 km | 87% |
| Bere Regis Surgery | 12.4 km | 91% |
| Walford Mill Medical Centre | 13.7 km | 87% |
| The Quarter Jack Surgery | 14.5 km | 81% |
How do patients rate Whitecliff Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of patients described their overall experience of Whitecliff Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 42% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Whitecliff Surgery?
23,404 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Whitecliff Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in January 2023.
How many GPs does Whitecliff Surgery have?
12.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (15 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,911 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Whitecliff Surgery face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Whitecliff Surgery's phone number?
01258 452501.