Orchard Surgery, Dereham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Orchard Surgery is a GP practice in Dereham with 12,641 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 52% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2023. It has 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,353 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Orchard Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 93%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 18%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 9 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 4 practices in Dereham with 50 or more responses. 18% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 19 points lower than in 2025 (71%). 119 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Orchard Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 52% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 18% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 35% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 24% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 71% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 41% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 51% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 77% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 67 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Orchard Surgery is Good, published in May 2023. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Inadequate (July 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,641 patients were registered at Orchard Surgery in September 2026, down 4.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,353 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 3.6 nurses and 5.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2024 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2026 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,683 appointments a month, or 450 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 17% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
34% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Orchard Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 450 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 17% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.3% against 0.8%), osteoporosis (1.9% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (6.7% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 18.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.3 years for women and 80.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 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 | 75.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.9% | 74.9% |
Orchard Surgery, Commercial Road, Dereham, NR19 1AE. Phone: 01362 692916. Website: www.orchardsurgerydereham.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Theatre Royal Surgery | 0.6 km | 86% |
| Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries | 6.4 km | 75% |
| Shipdham Surgery | 6.4 km | 93% |
| Elmham Surgery | 8.2 km | 72% |
| Dr Shaun Conway | 11.2 km | 99% |
- Elmham Surgery (72% overall experience good)
- Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries (75% overall experience good)
- Shipdham Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Theatre Royal Surgery (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Orchard Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 52% of patients described their overall experience of Orchard Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 18% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Orchard Surgery?
12,641 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.4% on a year earlier.
What is Orchard Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2023.
How many GPs does Orchard Surgery have?
5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,353 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Orchard Surgery face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Orchard Surgery's phone number?
01362 692916.