Abbey Field Medical Centre, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Abbey Field Medical Centre is a GP practice in Colchester with 21,720 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2019. It has 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,843 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Abbey Field Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 80%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 45%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 20th of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 16 points lower than in 2025 (82%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Abbey Field Medical Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 66% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 77% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 80% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 64% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Abbey Field Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2019. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
21,720 patients were registered at Abbey Field Medical Centre in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
14% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,843 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 3.7 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.3 | 16.0 |
| August 2024 | 7.6 | 14.3 |
| August 2025 | 7.6 | 11.7 |
| August 2026 | 7.6 | 10.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 10,681 appointments a month, or 492 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 76% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
40% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Abbey Field Medical Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 492 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 76% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.0% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (1.9% against 1.2%) and serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for stroke or TIA (1.4% against 1.9%), atrial fibrillation (1.7% against 2.2%) and high blood pressure (11.8% against 15.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 77.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.3% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.7% | 2.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.6% | 74.9% |
Abbey Field Medical Centre, Ypres Road, Colchester, CO2 7UW. Phone: 01206 517106.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Creffield Medical Group | 0.6 km | 74% |
| Colchester Medical Practice | 1.6 km | 87% |
| East Hill Surgery | 1.6 km | 83% |
| Ambrose Avenue Group Practice | 2.5 km | 66% |
| Colchester Medical Limited | 3.3 km | 75% |
- Ambrose Avenue Group Practice (66% overall experience good)
- East Hill Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice (66% overall experience good)
- Tollgate Medical Centre (64% overall experience good)
- Wivenhoe Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Abbey Field Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of patients described their overall experience of Abbey Field Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Abbey Field Medical Centre?
21,720 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Abbey Field Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2019.
How many GPs does Abbey Field Medical Centre have?
7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,843 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Abbey Field Medical Centre face to face?
76% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Abbey Field Medical Centre's phone number?
01206 517106.