Constable Country Rural Medical Practice, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Constable Country Rural Medical Practice is a GP practice in Colchester with 11,251 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 62% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2021. It has 4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,813 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Constable Country Rural Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 81%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 62%, below the England figure of 77%. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 22nd of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 66% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points lower than in 2025 (74%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Constable Country Rural Medical Practice | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 62% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 54% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 81% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 77% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 81% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 81% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Constable Country Rural Medical Practice is Good, published in September 2021. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,251 patients were registered at Constable Country Rural Medical Practice in September 2026, up 0.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,813 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 2.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.4 | 11.0 |
| August 2024 | 4.0 | 9.1 |
| August 2025 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.0 | 8.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,567 appointments a month, or 673 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 45% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
34% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Constable Country Rural Medical Practice | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 673 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 45% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (4.0% against 1.2%), cancer (6.5% against 3.8%) and chronic kidney disease (7.9% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.2 years for women and 83.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.1% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.9% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 4.0% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 85.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.6% | 74.9% |
Constable Country Rural Medical Practice, Constable Country Medical Practice, Colchester, CO7 6RT. Phone: 01206 298272. Website: www.constablecountrymedicalpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Health Centre | 4.2 km | 69% |
| Dr Hazim Ahmad | 4.4 km | 91% |
| Ardleigh Surgery | 6.3 km | 77% |
| Hadleigh Boxford Group Practice | 8.9 km | 90% |
| Holbrook Surgery | 9.1 km | 81% |
- Bildeston Health Centre (95% overall experience good)
- Hadleigh Boxford Group Practice (90% overall experience good)
- Holbrook Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Needham Market Country Practice (55% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Constable Country Rural Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 62% of patients described their overall experience of Constable Country Rural Medical Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Constable Country Rural Medical Practice?
11,251 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.5% on a year earlier.
What is Constable Country Rural Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2021.
How many GPs does Constable Country Rural Medical Practice have?
4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,813 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Constable Country Rural Medical Practice face to face?
45% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Constable Country Rural Medical Practice's phone number?
01206 298272.