Great Bentley Surgery, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Great Bentley Surgery is a GP practice in Colchester with 12,295 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% 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 2016. It has 5.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,175 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Great Bentley Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 90%, above the England figure of 69%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 95%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 10 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 75% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (91%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Great Bentley Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 75% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 74% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 71% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 84% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 90% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 95% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 463 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Great Bentley Surgery is Good, published in June 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,295 patients were registered at Great Bentley Surgery in September 2026, up 4.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,175 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 4.0 nurses and 1.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| August 2024 | 6.0 | 7.9 |
| August 2025 | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| August 2026 | 5.7 | 6.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,935 appointments a month, or 401 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 12% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Great Bentley Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 401 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 12% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (6.4% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (3.6% against 2.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.7% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.6 years for women and 79.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 82.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.8% | 74.9% |
Great Bentley Surgery, The Hollies Surgery, The Green, Great Bentley, Colchester, CO7 8PJ. Phone: 01206 250691. Website: www.greatbentleysurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Colne Medical Centre | 5.8 km | 86% |
| Thorpe-le-Soken Surgery | 6.7 km | 76% |
| Wivenhoe Medical Centre | 7.0 km | 73% |
| Crusader Surgery | 7.9 km | 60% |
| Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice | 8.2 km | 66% |
- Caradoc Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- Clacton Community Practices (77% overall experience good)
- Colne Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Ranworth Surgery (73% overall experience good)
- St James Surgery (96% overall experience good)
- Walton Medical Centre (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Great Bentley Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Great Bentley Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 75% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Great Bentley Surgery?
12,295 patients were registered in September 2026, up 4.0% on a year earlier.
What is Great Bentley Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does Great Bentley Surgery have?
5.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,175 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Great Bentley Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Great Bentley Surgery's phone number?
01206 250691.