Woolpit Health Centre, Bury St Edmunds: patient reviews and CQC rating
Woolpit Health Centre is a GP practice in Bury St Edmunds with 16,242 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2017. It has 9.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,635 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Woolpit Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 69%, above the England figure of 58%. 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, 1 is above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 9th of the 10 practices in Bury St Edmunds with 50 or more responses. 42% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (70%). 121 patients answered the survey (response rate 43%).
| Survey question | Woolpit Health Centre | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 42% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 69% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 64% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 77% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Woolpit Health Centre is Good, published in May 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,242 patients were registered at Woolpit Health Centre in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,635 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 2.6 nurses and 10.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.5 | 12.7 |
| August 2024 | 10.5 | 15.9 |
| August 2025 | 10.7 | 17.6 |
| August 2026 | 9.9 | 15.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 12,403 appointments a month, or 764 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 27% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
33% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Woolpit Health Centre | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 764 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 27% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 8% | 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 (8.3% against 4.6%), heart failure (1.7% against 1.1%) and cancer (6.0% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%), serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%) and dementia (0.6% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.5 years for women and 82.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.8% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 84.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.4% | 74.9% |
Woolpit Health Centre, Heath Road, Woolpit, Bury St Edmunds, IP30 9QU. Phone: 01359 240298. Website: www.woolpithealthcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Stowhealth | 7.4 km | 93% |
| Combs Ford Surgery | 8.5 km | 73% |
| Ixworth Surgery | 9.8 km | 91% |
| Mount Farm Surgery | 10.5 km | 71% |
| Stanton Surgery | 11.3 km | 86% |
- Botesdale Health Centre (88% overall experience good)
- Ixworth Surgery (91% overall experience good)
- Stanton Surgery (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Woolpit Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Woolpit Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 42% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Woolpit Health Centre?
16,242 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Woolpit Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2017.
How many GPs does Woolpit Health Centre have?
9.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (13 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,635 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Woolpit Health Centre face to face?
27% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Woolpit Health Centre's phone number?
01359 240298.