Stour Surgery, Christchurch: patient reviews and CQC rating
Stour Surgery is a GP practice in Christchurch with 10,893 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2016. It has 5.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,865 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Stour Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 93%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 95%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 6 practices in Christchurch with 50 or more responses. 93% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (94%). 99 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | Stour Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 93% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 93% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 75% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 77% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 93% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 90% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 159 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Stour Surgery is Good, published in December 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,893 patients were registered at Stour Surgery in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,865 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 5.9 nurses and 5.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.1 | 6.0 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| August 2025 | 4.1 | 6.2 |
| August 2026 | 5.8 | 7.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,221 appointments a month, or 663 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 49% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
45% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Stour Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 663 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 49% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.1% against 4.6%), stroke or TIA (3.1% against 1.9%) and heart failure (1.8% against 1.1%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%), depression (9.4% against 14.3%) and serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.1 years for women and 80.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.4% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.1% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.7% | 74.9% |
Stour Surgery, 49 Barrack Road, Christchurch, BH23 1PA. Phone: 01202 464500. Website: www.stoursurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Grove Surgery | 1.1 km | 81% |
| Farmhouse Surgery | 1.6 km | 83% |
| Christchurch Medical Practice | 1.6 km | 78% |
| The Marine and Oakridge Partnership | 2.3 km | 85% |
| Southbourne Surgery | 2.4 km | 94% |
- Christchurch Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- Farmhouse Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Highcliffe Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Stour Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of patients described their overall experience of Stour Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 93% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Stour Surgery?
10,893 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Stour Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2016.
How many GPs does Stour Surgery have?
5.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,865 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Stour Surgery face to face?
49% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Stour Surgery's phone number?
01202 464500.