Highcliffe Medical Centre, Christchurch: patient reviews and CQC rating
Highcliffe Medical Centre is a GP practice in Christchurch with 15,352 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% 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 September 2016. It has 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,758 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Highcliffe Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 91%, against 85% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 30%, 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 5th of the 6 practices in Christchurch with 50 or more responses. 30% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (82%). 110 patients answered the survey (response rate 42%).
| Survey question | Highcliffe Medical Centre | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 30% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 63% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 59% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 373 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Highcliffe Medical Centre is Good, published in September 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,352 patients were registered at Highcliffe Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
39% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,758 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 9.1 nurses and 3.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.0 | 8.9 |
| August 2024 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| August 2025 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| August 2026 | 8.7 | 9.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 12,841 appointments a month, or 836 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 12% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Highcliffe Medical Centre | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 836 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 12% | 10% | 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 (10.5% against 4.6%), atrial fibrillation (4.9% against 2.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (1.1% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%) and depression (10.9% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.1 years for women and 82.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 23.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 10.5% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 6.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 82.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.1% | 74.9% |
Highcliffe Medical Centre, 248 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, Christchurch, BH23 5ET. Phone: 01425 272203.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Medical Partnership | 3.5 km | 87% |
| Farmhouse Surgery | 4.1 km | 83% |
| Christchurch Medical Practice | 4.1 km | 78% |
| Twin Oaks Medical Centre | 5.1 km | 89% |
| Stour Surgery | 5.7 km | 93% |
- Christchurch Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- Farmhouse Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Stour Surgery (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Highcliffe Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of patients described their overall experience of Highcliffe Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 30% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Highcliffe Medical Centre?
15,352 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Highcliffe Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2016.
How many GPs does Highcliffe Medical Centre have?
8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (14 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,758 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Highcliffe Medical Centre face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Highcliffe Medical Centre's phone number?
01425 272203.