Tennyson House Surgery, Chelmsford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Tennyson House Surgery is a GP practice in Chelmsford with 32,027 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in July 2016. It has 11.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,728 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Tennyson House Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 62%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 31%, 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 15 practices in Chelmsford with 50 or more responses. 31% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (79%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Tennyson House Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 75% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 31% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 45% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Tennyson House Surgery is Good, published in July 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
32,027 patients were registered at Tennyson House Surgery in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 11.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,728 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 7.9 nurses and 2.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 12.4 | 17.3 |
| August 2024 | 12.2 | 19.3 |
| August 2025 | 12.8 | 19.0 |
| August 2026 | 11.7 | 17.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,615 appointments a month, or 300 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 95% were face to face (England: 63%). 45% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
47% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Tennyson House Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 300 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 95% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and chronic kidney disease (3.2% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.5 years for women and 79.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| 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 | 69.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 67.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
Tennyson House Surgery, 20 Merlin Place, Chelmsford, CM1 4HW. Phone: 01245 260459. Website: www.chelmermedpartnership.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Rivermead Gate Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 68% |
| Beauchamp House Surgery | 2.5 km | 77% |
| Whitley House | 2.6 km | 90% |
| The Writtle Surgery | 2.9 km | 66% |
| Sutherland Lodge Surgery | 3.1 km | 49% |
- The Writtle Surgery (66% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Tennyson House Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of patients described their overall experience of Tennyson House Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 31% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Tennyson House Surgery?
32,027 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Tennyson House Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2016.
How many GPs does Tennyson House Surgery have?
11.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (19 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,728 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Tennyson House Surgery face to face?
95% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Tennyson House Surgery's phone number?
01245 260459.