Dartford East Health Centre, Dartford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dartford East Health Centre is a GP practice in Dartford with 15,165 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2019. It has 7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,114 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dartford East Health Centre
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 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 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 9 practices in Dartford with 50 or more responses. 57% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (74%). 88 patients answered the survey (response rate 17%).
| Survey question | Dartford East Health Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 57% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 46% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 54% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 459 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dartford East Health Centre is Good, published in August 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,165 patients were registered at Dartford East Health Centre in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
14% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,114 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 0.9 nurses and 1.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.6 | 11.7 |
| August 2024 | 6.6 | 12.4 |
| August 2025 | 7.2 | 11.4 |
| August 2026 | 7.2 | 9.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,783 appointments a month, or 513 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 48% were face to face (England: 63%). 45% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
64% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dartford East Health Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 513 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 48% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.4 years for women and 77.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 65.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.9% | 74.9% |
Dartford East Health Centre, Pilgrims Way, Dartford, DA1 1QY. Phone: 01322 421480. Website: www.drshimminsandpartners.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Pilgrims Way Surgery | 0.0 km | 62% |
| Temple Hill Surgery | 1.4 km | 53% |
| Lowfield Medical Centre | 1.5 km | 55% |
| Horsmans Place Partnership | 1.5 km | 77% |
| The Wellcome Practice | 2.1 km | 77% |
- Lowfield Medical Centre (55% overall experience good)
- The Wellcome Practice (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dartford East Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Dartford East Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 57% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dartford East Health Centre?
15,165 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is Dartford East Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2019.
How many GPs does Dartford East Health Centre have?
7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,114 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dartford East Health Centre face to face?
48% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dartford East Health Centre's phone number?
01322 421480.