Market Cross Surgery, Bury St Edmunds: patient reviews and CQC rating
Market Cross Surgery is a GP practice in Bury St Edmunds with 12,858 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in December 2016. It has 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,492 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Market Cross Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 77%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 37%, 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 5th of the 10 practices in Bury St Edmunds with 50 or more responses. 37% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (75%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Market Cross Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 37% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 49% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 51% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Market Cross Surgery is Outstanding, published in December 2016. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Well-led Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
12,858 patients were registered at Market Cross Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,492 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 4.0 nurses and 7.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.6 | 10.4 |
| August 2024 | 7.2 | 11.0 |
| August 2025 | 8.0 | 11.6 |
| August 2026 | 8.6 | 13.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,576 appointments a month, or 667 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 48% were face to face (England: 63%). 68% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Market Cross Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 667 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 48% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 68% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (0.9% against 0.6%), COPD (2.9% against 1.9%) and atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (3.7% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.3 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.1% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| 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 | 76.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.2% | 74.9% |
Market Cross Surgery, 7 Market Place, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 7EG. Phone: 01638 713109. Website: www.marketcross-surgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Reynard Surgery | 4.5 km | 81% |
| Lakenheath Surgery | 7.7 km | 77% |
| Staploe Medical Centre | 11.5 km | 89% |
| Oakfield Surgery | 12.7 km | 88% |
| Orchard House Surgery Partnership | 13.0 km | 83% |
- Brandon Medical Practice (85% overall experience good)
- Forest Group Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Lakenheath Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- Oakfield Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- Orchard House Surgery Partnership (83% overall experience good)
- Rookery Medical Partnership (94% overall experience good)
- The Reynard Surgery (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Market Cross Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of patients described their overall experience of Market Cross Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 37% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Market Cross Surgery?
12,858 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Market Cross Surgery's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in December 2016.
How many GPs does Market Cross Surgery have?
8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (13 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,492 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Market Cross Surgery face to face?
48% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Market Cross Surgery's phone number?
01638 713109.