Cerne Abbas Surgery, Dorchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Cerne Abbas Surgery is a GP practice in Dorchester with 4,179 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2016. It has 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,380 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Cerne Abbas Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 96%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 91%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 7 practices in Dorchester with 50 or more responses. 96% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (99%). 113 patients answered the survey (response rate 43%).
| Survey question | Cerne Abbas Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 91% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 96% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 84% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 64% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 99% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 89% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Cerne Abbas Surgery is Good, published in April 2016. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Outstanding.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
4,179 patients were registered at Cerne Abbas Surgery in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
37% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,380 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 7.8 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 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2025 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2026 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,972 appointments a month, or 711 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
48% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Cerne Abbas Surgery | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 711 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 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 (4.1% against 2.2%) and stroke or TIA (3.3% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for depression (9.3% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.7 years for women and 81.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.6% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.3% | 6.6% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 2.0% | 0.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.2% | 74.9% |
Cerne Abbas Surgery, The Cerne Abbas Practice, 51 Long Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, DT2 7JG. Phone: 01300 341666.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Prince of Wales Surgery | 10.7 km | 96% |
| Poundbury Doctors Surgery | 10.7 km | 93% |
| Fordington Surgery | 11.2 km | 94% |
| Atrium Health Centre | 11.2 km | 73% |
| Queens Avenue Surgery | 11.5 km | 87% |
- Atrium Health Centre (73% 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 Cerne Abbas Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of patients described their overall experience of Cerne Abbas Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 96% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Cerne Abbas Surgery?
4,179 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Cerne Abbas Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2016.
How many GPs does Cerne Abbas Surgery have?
3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,380 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Cerne Abbas Surgery face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Cerne Abbas Surgery's phone number?
01300 341666.