Southbourne Surgery, Bournemouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Southbourne Surgery is a GP practice in Bournemouth with 8,723 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 94% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2017. It has 6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,363 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Southbourne Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 90%, above the England figure of 73%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 45%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 16 practices in Bournemouth with 50 or more responses. 56% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 15 points higher than in 2025 (79%). 110 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Southbourne Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 94% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 56% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 90% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 63% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 99% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 231 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Southbourne Surgery is Good, published in April 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (August 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,723 patients were registered at Southbourne Surgery in September 2026, down 3.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,363 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 1.8 nurses and 1.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| August 2024 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| August 2025 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| August 2026 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,289 appointments a month, or 606 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 43% were face to face (England: 63%). 61% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
73% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Southbourne Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 606 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 43% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 61% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.0% against 1.2%), serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%) and heart failure (1.6% against 1.1%). It has a lower share for diabetes (5.9% against 7.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.6 years for women and 80.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.0% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
Southbourne Surgery, 17 Beaufort Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth, BH6 5BF. Phone: 01202 427878.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Beaufort Road Surgery | 0.0 km | 81% |
| The Marine and Oakridge Partnership | 0.8 km | 85% |
| Shelley Manor & Holdenhurst Medical Centre | 1.5 km | 71% |
| Littledown Surgery | 2.0 km | 91% |
| Crescent Providence Surgery | 2.2 km | 77% |
- Beaufort Road Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Littledown Surgery (91% overall experience good)
- Shelley Manor & Holdenhurst Medical Centre (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Southbourne Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 94% of patients described their overall experience of Southbourne Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 56% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Southbourne Surgery?
8,723 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.2% on a year earlier.
What is Southbourne Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2017.
How many GPs does Southbourne Surgery have?
6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,363 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Southbourne Surgery face to face?
43% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Southbourne Surgery's phone number?
01202 427878.