The Royal Well Surgery, Cheltenham: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Royal Well Surgery is a GP practice in Cheltenham with 8,417 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Gloucestershire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2022. It has 4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,901 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Royal Well Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 82%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 34%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 9th of the 16 practices in Cheltenham with 50 or more responses. 82% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (83%). 101 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | The Royal Well Surgery | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 82% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 34% | 56% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 89% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 55% | 66% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 89% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 95% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 93% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 60 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Royal Well Surgery is Good, published in September 2022. One key question is rated differently: Safe Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,417 patients were registered at The Royal Well Surgery in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,901 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Gloucestershire's 1,949. The practice also has 1.4 nurses and 3.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.4 | 8.2 |
| August 2024 | 3.4 | 9.8 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 6.1 |
| August 2026 | 4.4 | 13.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,367 appointments a month, or 519 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 83% were face to face (England: 63%). 42% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
44% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Royal Well Surgery | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 519 | 574 | 510 |
| Face to face | 83% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 42% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 11% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (1.8% against 1.1%) and dementia (1.1% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 79.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 60.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 62.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 70.5% | 74.9% |
The Royal Well Surgery, St Pauls Medical Centre, Cheltenham, GL50 4DP. Phone: 01242 215010. Website: www.royalwell.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| St George's Surgery | 0.0 km | 93% |
| Weston House Practice | 0.0 km | 86% |
| St Catherine's Surgery | 0.0 km | 83% |
| Yorkleigh Surgery - CT | 0.8 km | 78% |
| Underwood Surgery | 0.8 km | 94% |
- St Catherine's Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- St George's Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Weston House Practice (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Royal Well Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of The Royal Well Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 82% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Royal Well Surgery?
8,417 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is The Royal Well Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2022.
How many GPs does The Royal Well Surgery have?
4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,901 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Royal Well Surgery face to face?
83% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Royal Well Surgery's phone number?
01242 215010.