East Hill Surgery, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
East Hill Surgery is a GP practice in Colchester with 9,444 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in July 2016. It has 4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,146 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about East Hill Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 83%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 42%, against 54% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th 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 3 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | East Hill Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 42% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 83% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 56 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for East Hill Surgery is Good, published in July 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,444 patients were registered at East Hill Surgery in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,146 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 0.9 nurses and 2.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.3 | 9.2 |
| August 2024 | 4.7 | 10.3 |
| August 2025 | 4.4 | 9.9 |
| August 2026 | 4.4 | 8.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,141 appointments a month, or 438 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 68% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
59% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | East Hill Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 438 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 68% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.8% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.1 years for women and 77.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.7% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 66.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.9% | 74.9% |
East Hill Surgery, The East Hill Surgery, 78 East Hill, Colchester, CO1 2RW. Phone: 01206 866133.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Colchester Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 87% |
| 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% |
- Abbey Field Medical Centre (66% overall experience good)
- Ambrose Avenue Group Practice (66% 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 East Hill Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of East Hill Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at East Hill Surgery?
9,444 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is East Hill Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2016.
How many GPs does East Hill Surgery have?
4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,146 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at East Hill Surgery face to face?
68% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is East Hill Surgery's phone number?
01206 866133.