Highwoods Surgery, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Highwoods Surgery is a GP practice in Colchester with 7,597 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 70% 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 2022. It has 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,799 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Highwoods Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 61%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 68%, below the England figure of 86%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 17th of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 55% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 136 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Highwoods Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 70% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 55% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 77% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 68% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 82% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Highwoods Surgery is Good, published in July 2022. One key question is rated differently: Well-led Requires Improvement.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,597 patients were registered at Highwoods Surgery in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,799 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 1.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2024 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2025 | 2.0 | 3.1 |
| August 2026 | 2.0 | 3.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,941 appointments a month, or 387 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 77% were face to face (England: 63%). 25% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
32% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Highwoods Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 387 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 77% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 25% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (2.0% against 0.8%), palliative or supportive care needs (1.1% against 0.6%) and a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (2.3% against 4.6%) and heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 78.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.3% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.3% | 4.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 2.0% | 0.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 65.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.6% | 74.9% |
Highwoods Surgery, Highwoods Square, Highwoods, Colchester, CO4 9SR. Phone: 01206 752010. Website: www.highwoodssurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bluebell Surgery | 0.6 km | 77% |
| Colchester Medical Limited | 1.1 km | 75% |
| Mill Road Surgery | 1.5 km | 84% |
| Colchester Medical Practice | 2.4 km | 87% |
| East Hill Surgery | 2.4 km | 83% |
- Bluebell Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- Dr Abiodun Obisesan (76% overall experience good)
- Dr Hazim Ahmad (91% overall experience good)
- Mersea Island Medical Practice (91% overall experience good)
- Mill Road Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- The Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Highwoods Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 70% of patients described their overall experience of Highwoods Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 55% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Highwoods Surgery?
7,597 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is Highwoods Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2022.
How many GPs does Highwoods Surgery have?
2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,799 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Highwoods Surgery face to face?
77% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Highwoods Surgery's phone number?
01206 752010.