Pencester Surgery, Dover: patient reviews and CQC rating
Pencester Surgery is a GP practice in Dover with 11,526 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2018. It has 3.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,006 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Pencester Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 57%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 33%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 6 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 6 practices in Dover with 50 or more responses. 33% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 13 points higher than in 2025 (46%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Pencester Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 59% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 33% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 58% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 71% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 77% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 79% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 93 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Pencester Surgery is Good, published in December 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (June 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,526 patients were registered at Pencester Surgery in September 2026, down 2.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,006 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 5.1 nurses and 0.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2024 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2025 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2026 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,368 appointments a month, or 379 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 49% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
46% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Pencester Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 379 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 49% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.3% against 0.6%), epilepsy (1.4% against 0.8%) and depression (21.7% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 36.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.1 years for women and 76.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 65.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 64.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 57.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 60.7% | 74.9% |
Pencester Surgery, 10-12 Pencester Road, Dover, CT16 1BW. Phone: 01304 240553. Website: www.pencestersurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| St James' Surgery | 0.3 km | 78% |
| High Street Surgery | 0.5 km | 79% |
| The White Cliff Medical Centre | 0.8 km | 70% |
| Buckland Medical Practice | 1.5 km | 69% |
| Lydden Surgery | 6.4 km | 88% |
- Aylesham Medical Practice (63% overall experience good)
- Lydden Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- The White Cliff Medical Centre (70% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Pencester Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of patients described their overall experience of Pencester Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 33% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Pencester Surgery?
11,526 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.7% on a year earlier.
What is Pencester Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2018.
How many GPs does Pencester Surgery have?
3.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,006 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Pencester Surgery face to face?
49% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Pencester Surgery's phone number?
01304 240553.