The Old School Surgery, Bristol: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Old School Surgery is a GP practice in Bristol with 30,585 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in March 2019. It has 13.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,341 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Old School Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 67%, against 58% across England. 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, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 57th of the 65 practices in Bristol with 50 or more responses. 42% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (70%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 11%).
| Survey question | The Old School Surgery | Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 42% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 67% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 46% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 81% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 60% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 89% of 639 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Old School Surgery is Good, published in March 2019. One key question is rated differently: Well-led Outstanding. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
30,585 patients were registered at The Old School Surgery in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
6% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 13.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,341 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire's 1,925. The practice also has 10.7 nurses and 6.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 12.2 | 17.3 |
| August 2024 | 13.9 | 15.7 |
| August 2025 | 12.3 | 15.3 |
| August 2026 | 13.1 | 13.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,677 appointments a month, or 284 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 49% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Old School Surgery | Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 284 | 459 | 510 |
| Face to face | 49% | 65% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 38% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), chronic kidney disease (1.3% against 4.6%) and coronary heart disease (0.9% against 3.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.6 years for women and 78.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 5.4% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 3.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 2.7% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.4% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 0.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 66.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 41.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 65.4% | 74.9% |
The Old School Surgery, Manor Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 2JD. Phone: 0117 965 3102. Website: www.oldschoolsurgery.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Fishponds Family Practice | 0.3 km | 67% |
| Beechwood Medical Practice | 0.3 km | 81% |
| Christchurch Family Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 68% |
| St George Health Centre | 2.4 km | 88% |
| The Orchard Medical Centre | 2.5 km | 84% |
- St George Health Centre (88% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Old School Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of The Old School Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 42% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Old School Surgery?
30,585 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is The Old School Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2019.
How many GPs does The Old School Surgery have?
13.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (19 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,341 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Old School Surgery face to face?
49% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Old School Surgery's phone number?
0117 965 3102.