Christchurch Medical Practice, Christchurch: patient reviews and CQC rating
Christchurch Medical Practice is a GP practice in Christchurch with 15,344 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,933 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Christchurch Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 95%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 38%, 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 6th of the 6 practices in Christchurch with 50 or more responses. 38% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 27 points higher than in 2025 (51%). 121 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Christchurch Medical Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 38% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 58% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 44% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Christchurch Medical Practice is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,344 patients were registered at Christchurch Medical Practice in September 2026, down 4.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
30% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,933 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 12.6 nurses and 3.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.0 | 9.3 |
| August 2024 | 9.7 | 11.5 |
| August 2025 | 7.9 | 10.0 |
| August 2026 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,302 appointments a month, or 606 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 75% were face to face (England: 63%). 26% took place on the day they were booked and 12% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
27% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Christchurch Medical Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 606 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 75% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 26% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 12% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (4.2% against 2.2%), coronary heart disease (5.4% against 3.0%) and stroke or TIA (3.3% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for depression (10.9% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.6 years for women and 80.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.0% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.5% | 74.9% |
Christchurch Medical Practice, Christchurch Medical Centre, 1 Purewell Cross Road, Christchurch, BH23 3AF. Phone: 01202 481901.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Farmhouse Surgery | 0.0 km | 83% |
| Stour Surgery | 1.6 km | 93% |
| The Grove Surgery | 2.4 km | 81% |
| The Marine and Oakridge Partnership | 3.6 km | 85% |
| Southbourne Surgery | 4.0 km | 94% |
- Farmhouse Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Highcliffe Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Stour Surgery (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Christchurch Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Christchurch Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 38% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Christchurch Medical Practice?
15,344 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.6% on a year earlier.
What is Christchurch Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Christchurch Medical Practice have?
7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,933 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Christchurch Medical Practice face to face?
75% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Christchurch Medical Practice's phone number?
01202 481901.