St James' Surgery, Dover: patient reviews and CQC rating
St James' Surgery is a GP practice in Dover with 9,464 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2017. It has 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,294 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about St James' Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 96%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 35%, below the England figure of 54%. 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 3rd of the 6 practices in Dover with 50 or more responses. 56% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | St James' Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 56% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 35% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 81% of 42 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for St James' Surgery is Good, published in February 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,464 patients were registered at St James' Surgery in September 2026, down 5.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,294 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 5.3 nurses and 3.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| August 2024 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| August 2025 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| August 2026 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,476 appointments a month, or 790 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 33% were face to face (England: 63%). 71% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
21% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | St James' Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 790 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 33% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 71% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (20.7% against 14.3%), epilepsy (1.1% against 0.8%) and COPD (2.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%) and heart failure (0.8% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 30.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
St James' Surgery, 2 Harold Street, Dover, CT16 1SF. Phone: 01304 225559. Website: www.st-james-surgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Pencester Surgery | 0.3 km | 59% |
| High Street Surgery | 0.7 km | 79% |
| The White Cliff Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 70% |
| Buckland Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 69% |
| Lydden Surgery | 6.6 km | 88% |
- Buckland Medical Practice (69% overall experience good)
- High Street Surgery (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate St James' Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of St James' Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 56% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at St James' Surgery?
9,464 patients were registered in September 2026, down 5.6% on a year earlier.
What is St James' Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2017.
How many GPs does St James' Surgery have?
4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,294 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at St James' Surgery face to face?
33% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is St James' Surgery's phone number?
01304 225559.