Northgate Medical Practice, Canterbury: patient reviews and CQC rating
Northgate Medical Practice is a GP practice in Canterbury with 20,424 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2016. It has 9.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,173 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Northgate Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 91%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 35%, 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 9th of the 10 practices in Canterbury with 50 or more responses. 35% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (69%). 126 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Northgate Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 35% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 49% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 81% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 65% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 573 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Northgate Medical Practice is Good, published in August 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
20,424 patients were registered at Northgate Medical Practice in September 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,173 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 5.7 nurses and 5.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.3 | 10.3 |
| August 2024 | 9.3 | 11.2 |
| August 2025 | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| August 2026 | 9.4 | 11.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,554 appointments a month, or 419 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 29% took place on the day they were booked and 15% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Northgate Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 419 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 29% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 15% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.4% against 1.0%) and a learning disability (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for heart failure (0.8% against 1.1%), dementia (0.6% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (3.4% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.0 years for women and 78.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 56.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.1% | 74.9% |
Northgate Medical Practice, 1 Northgate, Canterbury, CT1 1WL. Phone: 01227 208556. Website: www.northgatemedicalpractice.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| New Dover Road Surgery | 1.1 km | 87% |
| Canterbury Health Centre | 1.2 km | 74% |
| The University Medical Centre | 2.2 km | 80% |
| Sturry Surgery | 3.8 km | 88% |
| Canterbury Medical Practice | 5.2 km | 74% |
- Canterbury Health Centre (74% overall experience good)
- Dr Dale S Kinnersley & Partner (95% overall experience good)
- Sturry Surgery (88% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Northgate Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Northgate Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 35% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Northgate Medical Practice?
20,424 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier.
What is Northgate Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2016.
How many GPs does Northgate Medical Practice have?
9.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,173 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Northgate Medical Practice face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Northgate Medical Practice's phone number?
01227 208556.