Crusader Surgery, Clacton On Sea: patient reviews and CQC rating
Crusader Surgery is a GP practice in Clacton On Sea with 11,057 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 60% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in February 2023. It has 2.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,231 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Crusader Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 87%, against 85% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 53%, below the England figure of 73%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 8 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 6 practices in Clacton On Sea with 50 or more responses. 39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (59%). 130 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Crusader Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 60% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 43% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 53% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 78% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 73% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 73% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Crusader Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in February 2023. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Well-led Good and Effective Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Requires Improvement |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
11,057 patients were registered at Crusader Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
32% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,231 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 5.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| August 2024 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| August 2025 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| August 2026 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,428 appointments a month, or 491 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 76% were face to face (England: 63%). 20% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Crusader Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 491 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 76% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 20% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (12.3% against 4.6%), COPD (3.9% against 1.9%) and palliative or supportive care needs (1.0% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 35.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 77.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 24.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 13.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 12.3% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.8% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.3% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.9% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 66.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 70.5% | 74.9% |
Crusader Surgery, Unit 5, 7-8, Crusader Business Park, Stephenson Road West, Clacton On Sea, CO15 4TN. Phone: 01255 688884. Website: www.crusadersurgery.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Old Road Medical Practice | 2.7 km | 57% |
| East Lynne Medical Centre | 3.1 km | 86% |
| Ranworth Surgery | 3.1 km | 73% |
| St James Surgery | 3.6 km | 96% |
| Thorpe-le-Soken Surgery | 4.4 km | 76% |
- East Lynne Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Old Road Medical Practice (57% overall experience good)
- Thorpe-le-Soken Surgery (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Crusader Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 60% of patients described their overall experience of Crusader Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Crusader Surgery?
11,057 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.2% on a year earlier.
What is Crusader Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in February 2023.
How many GPs does Crusader Surgery have?
2.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,231 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Crusader Surgery face to face?
76% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Crusader Surgery's phone number?
01255 688884.