Ambrose Avenue Group Practice, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Ambrose Avenue Group Practice is a GP practice in Colchester with 13,826 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%). It has 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,795 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Ambrose Avenue Group Practice
Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 87%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 18%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 6 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 18th of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 18% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (55%). 95 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Ambrose Avenue Group Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 66% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 18% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 50% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 66% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 73% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 74% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 84% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 89% | 90% |
13,826 patients were registered at Ambrose Avenue Group Practice in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,795 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 5.1 nurses and 8.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| August 2024 | 6.8 | 8.7 |
| August 2025 | 3.2 | 5.4 |
| August 2026 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,910 appointments a month, or 500 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 84% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
27% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Ambrose Avenue Group Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 500 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 84% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (2.8% against 0.6%), a learning disability (0.8% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.0% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for peripheral arterial disease (0.4% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (0.8% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.3 years for women and 80.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.5% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.6% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.9% | 74.9% |
Ambrose Avenue Group Practice, 76 Ambrose Avenue, Colchester, CO3 4LN. Phone: 01206 549444. Website: www.ambroseavenue.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Abiodun Obisesan | 1.5 km | 76% |
| Creffield Medical Group | 2.0 km | 74% |
| Tollgate Medical Centre | 2.3 km | 64% |
| Abbey Field Medical Centre | 2.5 km | 66% |
| Colchester Medical Practice | 3.4 km | 87% |
- Abbey Field Medical Centre (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 Ambrose Avenue Group Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of patients described their overall experience of Ambrose Avenue Group Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 18% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Ambrose Avenue Group Practice?
13,826 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier.
How many GPs does Ambrose Avenue Group Practice have?
4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,795 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Ambrose Avenue Group Practice face to face?
84% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Ambrose Avenue Group Practice's phone number?
01206 549444.