Atrium Health Centre, Dorchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Atrium Health Centre is a GP practice in Dorchester with 6,449 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2017. It has 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,901 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Atrium Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 65%, against 57% across England. Its weakest is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 77%, below the England figure of 86%. 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 7th of the 7 practices in Dorchester with 50 or more responses. 65% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (69%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | Atrium Health Centre | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 73% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 65% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 63% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 77% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 98 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Atrium Health Centre is Good, published in April 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (October 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,449 patients were registered at Atrium Health Centre in September 2026, down 4.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,901 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 1.2 nurses and 4.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.5 | 3.4 |
| August 2024 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| August 2025 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| August 2026 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,455 appointments a month, or 691 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 58% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 18% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Atrium Health Centre | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 691 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 58% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 18% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (2.0% against 0.6%), atrial fibrillation (3.9% against 2.2%) and peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.4 years for women and 80.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.3% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 2.0% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.4% | 74.9% |
Atrium Health Centre, 7 Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 1QR. Phone: 01305 251545. Website: www.atriumhealth.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Queens Avenue Surgery | 0.5 km | 87% |
| Fordington Surgery | 0.8 km | 94% |
| The Prince of Wales Surgery | 1.4 km | 96% |
| Poundbury Doctors Surgery | 1.4 km | 93% |
| Puddletown Surgery | 7.8 km | 97% |
- Cerne Abbas Surgery (91% overall experience good)
- Fordington Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- Milton Abbas Surgery (99% overall experience good)
- Poundbury Doctors Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Puddletown Surgery (97% overall experience good)
- Queens Avenue Surgery (87% overall experience good)
- The Prince of Wales Surgery (96% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Atrium Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of patients described their overall experience of Atrium Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 65% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Atrium Health Centre?
6,449 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.8% on a year earlier.
What is Atrium Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2017.
How many GPs does Atrium Health Centre have?
1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,901 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Atrium Health Centre face to face?
58% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Atrium Health Centre's phone number?
01305 251545.