Colchester Medical Practice, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Colchester Medical Practice is a GP practice in Colchester with 43,458 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2017. It has 15.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,776 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Colchester Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 77%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 91%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 77% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (86%). 163 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Colchester Medical Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 87% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 77% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 84% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 970 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Colchester Medical Practice is Good, published in June 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
43,458 patients were registered at Colchester Medical Practice in September 2026, up 3.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 15.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,776 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 15.2 nurses and 7.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 13.3 | 16.7 |
| August 2024 | 13.1 | 18.8 |
| August 2025 | 13.1 | 15.8 |
| August 2026 | 15.7 | 18.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 22,140 appointments a month, or 509 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 70% were face to face (England: 63%). 36% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Colchester Medical Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 509 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 70% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 36% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.9% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (2.7% against 1.2%) and depression (17.6% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for peripheral arterial disease (0.4% against 0.6%) and stroke or TIA (1.4% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.1 years for women and 77.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.6% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.9% | 0.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 74.9% |
Colchester Medical Practice, 78 East Hill, Colchester, CO1 2QS. Phone: 01206 866626. Website: www.castlegardensmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| East Hill Surgery | 0.0 km | 83% |
| Creffield Medical Group | 1.5 km | 74% |
| Abbey Field Medical Centre | 1.6 km | 66% |
| Colchester Medical Limited | 1.9 km | 75% |
| Highwoods Surgery | 2.4 km | 70% |
How do patients rate Colchester Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of patients described their overall experience of Colchester Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 77% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Colchester Medical Practice?
43,458 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.0% on a year earlier.
What is Colchester Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2017.
How many GPs does Colchester Medical Practice have?
15.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (20 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,776 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Colchester Medical Practice face to face?
70% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Colchester Medical Practice's phone number?
01206 866626.