The Wellcome Practice, Dartford: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Wellcome Practice is a GP practice in Dartford with 10,779 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% 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 May 2019. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,950 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Wellcome Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 94%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 34%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 9 practices in Dartford with 50 or more responses. 34% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 15 points higher than in 2025 (62%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | The Wellcome Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 34% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 58% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 77% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 65% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 84% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Wellcome Practice is Good, published in May 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,779 patients were registered at The Wellcome Practice in September 2026, down 3.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,950 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 0.7 nurses and 1.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.8 | 7.8 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 7.1 |
| August 2025 | 4.1 | 6.2 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,124 appointments a month, or 568 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 48% were face to face (England: 63%). 50% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
61% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Wellcome Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 568 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 48% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 50% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.1% against 0.6%), dementia (1.2% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (6.5% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.9 years for women and 79.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.5% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 66.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.0% | 74.9% |
The Wellcome Practice, Dartford West Health Centre, Tower Road, Dartford, DA1 2HA. Phone: 01322 223960. Website: www.thewellcomepractice.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Practice | 0.0 km | 73% |
| Horsmans Place Partnership | 0.7 km | 77% |
| Lowfield Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 55% |
| Temple Hill Surgery | 1.8 km | 53% |
| Crayford Town Surgery | 1.9 km | 64% |
- Dartford East Health Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Lowfield Medical Centre (55% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Wellcome Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of The Wellcome Practice as good, against 77% across England. 34% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Wellcome Practice?
10,779 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.5% on a year earlier.
What is The Wellcome Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2019.
How many GPs does The Wellcome Practice have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,950 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Wellcome Practice face to face?
48% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Wellcome Practice's phone number?
01322 223960.