Old School Surgery, Cranbrook: patient reviews and CQC rating
Old School Surgery is a GP practice in Cranbrook with 5,704 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in December 2019. It has 2.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,625 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Old School Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 66%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 54%, below the England figure of 69%. 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 4th of the 4 practices in Cranbrook with 50 or more responses. 54% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (69%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Old School Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 54% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 41% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 65% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 54% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 77% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 74% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 86% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Old School Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in December 2019. 3 key questions are rated differently: Well-led Good, Caring Good and Responsive Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
5,704 patients were registered at Old School Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,625 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 1.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2024 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2025 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2026 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,292 appointments a month, or 402 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 76% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Old School Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 402 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 76% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (5.4% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (3.1% against 2.2%) and stroke or TIA (2.5% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.2 years for women and 80.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.5% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.8% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.0% | 74.9% |
Old School Surgery, Rectory Fields, Cranbrook, TN17 3JB. Phone: 01580 712476. Website: www.oldschoolsurgerycranbrook.nhs.uk/.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Orchard End Surgery | 0.9 km | 97% |
| Old Parsonage Surgery | 5.5 km | 97% |
| Weald View Medical Practice - Hawkhurst | 6.0 km | 79% |
| Marden Medical Centre | 8.9 km | 94% |
| Lamberhurst Surgery | 10.3 km | 94% |
- Howell Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- Lamberhurst Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- Marden Medical Centre (94% overall experience good)
- Old Parsonage Surgery (97% overall experience good)
- Orchard End Surgery (97% overall experience good)
- Weald View Medical Practice - Hawkhurst (79% overall experience good)
- Yalding Surgery (75% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Old School Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of Old School Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 54% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Old School Surgery?
5,704 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Old School Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Old School Surgery have?
2.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,625 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Old School Surgery face to face?
76% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Old School Surgery's phone number?
01580 712476.