The Highwood Surgery, Brentwood: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Highwood Surgery is a GP practice in Brentwood with 3,558 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in November 2022. It has 1.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,541 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Highwood Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 95%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 47%, against 54% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 7 practices in Brentwood with 50 or more responses. 95% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (94%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | The Highwood Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 93% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 95% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 78% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 47% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 95% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 93% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 97% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 97% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Highwood Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in November 2022. 3 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
3,558 patients were registered at The Highwood Surgery in September 2026, up 13.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
13% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,541 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 0.6 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| August 2024 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| August 2025 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| August 2026 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,118 appointments a month, or 314 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 99% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
73% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Highwood Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 314 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 99% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), depression (4.6% against 14.3%) and stroke or TIA (0.8% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.6 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 | 11.3% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.3% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.8% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 77.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.1% | 74.9% |
The Highwood Surgery, Geary Drive, Brentwood, CM15 9DY. Phone: 01277 236640. Website: www.highwoodsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Tile House Partnership | 0.9 km | 81% |
| The New Surgery | 0.9 km | 75% |
| Beechwood Surgery | 2.0 km | 79% |
| Rockleigh Court Surgery | 2.2 km | 68% |
| Dr S Neill and Partners | 2.5 km | 83% |
- Beechwood Surgery (79% overall experience good)
- Deal Tree Health Centre (88% overall experience good)
- Dr S Neill and Partners (83% overall experience good)
- Rockleigh Court Surgery (68% overall experience good)
- The New Folly Surgery (66% overall experience good)
- The New Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- The Tile House Partnership (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Highwood Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of patients described their overall experience of The Highwood Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 95% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Highwood Surgery?
3,558 patients were registered in September 2026, up 13.3% on a year earlier.
What is The Highwood Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in November 2022.
How many GPs does The Highwood Surgery have?
1.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 2,541 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Highwood Surgery face to face?
99% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Highwood Surgery's phone number?
01277 236640.