Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice, Colchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice is a GP practice in Colchester with 13,896 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). It has 6.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,140 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 63%, against 57% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 38%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 19th of the 22 practices in Colchester with 50 or more responses. 63% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 13 points lower than in 2025 (79%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 10%).
| Survey question | Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 66% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 63% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 38% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 51% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 69% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 67% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 100% of 36 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
13,896 patients were registered at Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice in September 2026, down 9.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
8% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,140 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 4.6 nurses and 5.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| August 2024 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| August 2025 | 7.3 | 8.1 |
| August 2026 | 6.5 | 8.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,642 appointments a month, or 334 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 56% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
30% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 334 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for peripheral arterial disease (0.1% against 0.6%), diabetes (1.9% against 7.9%) and COPD (0.5% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.2 years for women and 78.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 5.2% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 3.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 1.9% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.3% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.9% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.5% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 41.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.7% | 74.9% |
Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice, 7 Rectory Road, Rowhedge, Colchester, CO5 7HP. Phone: 01206 728585.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wivenhoe Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 73% |
| Abbey Field Medical Centre | 3.9 km | 66% |
| Colchester Medical Practice | 4.4 km | 87% |
| East Hill Surgery | 4.4 km | 83% |
| Creffield Medical Group | 4.5 km | 74% |
- Abbey Field Medical Centre (66% overall experience good)
- Ambrose Avenue Group Practice (66% overall experience good)
- East Hill Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Tollgate Medical Centre (64% overall experience good)
- Wivenhoe Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of patients described their overall experience of Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 63% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice?
13,896 patients were registered in September 2026, down 9.4% on a year earlier.
How many GPs does Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice have?
6.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,140 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Rowhedge & University of Essex Medical Practice's phone number?
01206 728585.