Theatre Royal Surgery, Dereham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Theatre Royal Surgery is a GP practice in Dereham with 11,239 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,829 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Theatre Royal Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 81%, above the England figure of 58%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 94%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 4 practices in Dereham with 50 or more responses. 65% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (76%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Theatre Royal Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 65% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 81% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 82% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 78% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 100% of 23 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Theatre Royal Surgery is Good, published in November 2018. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (December 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
11,239 patients were registered at Theatre Royal Surgery in September 2026, up 3.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,829 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 5.3 nurses and 2.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.0 | 5.9 |
| August 2024 | 2.9 | 5.0 |
| August 2025 | 4.0 | 6.1 |
| August 2026 | 4.0 | 7.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,145 appointments a month, or 547 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 75% were face to face (England: 63%). 32% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
34% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Theatre Royal Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 547 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 75% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.5% against 0.8%), a learning disability (1.0% against 0.6%) and stroke or TIA (2.9% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 18.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.1 years for women and 80.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.4% | 74.9% |
Theatre Royal Surgery, 27 Theatre Street, Dereham, NR19 2EN. Phone: 01362 852800. Website: www.theatresurgery.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Orchard Surgery | 0.6 km | 52% |
| Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries | 6.7 km | 75% |
| Shipdham Surgery | 6.9 km | 93% |
| Elmham Surgery | 7.6 km | 72% |
| Litcham Health Centre | 11.1 km | 73% |
- Elmham Surgery (72% overall experience good)
- Mattishall & Lenwade Surgeries (75% overall experience good)
- Orchard Surgery (52% overall experience good)
- Shipdham Surgery (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Theatre Royal Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of Theatre Royal Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 65% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Theatre Royal Surgery?
11,239 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.1% on a year earlier.
What is Theatre Royal Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Theatre Royal Surgery have?
4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,829 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Theatre Royal Surgery face to face?
75% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Theatre Royal Surgery's phone number?
01362 852800.