Sovereign Practice, Eastbourne: patient reviews and CQC rating
Sovereign Practice is a GP practice in Eastbourne with 13,778 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 68% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Surrey and Sussex: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2017. It has 7.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,784 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Sovereign Practice
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 97%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 28%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 8th of the 8 practices in Eastbourne with 50 or more responses. 28% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (61%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Sovereign Practice | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 68% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 28% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 43% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 60% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 510 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Sovereign Practice is Good, published in August 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
13,778 patients were registered at Sovereign Practice in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,784 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Surrey and Sussex's 2,031. The practice also has 5.8 nurses and 8.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| August 2025 | 7.7 | 8.8 |
| August 2026 | 7.7 | 8.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 11,303 appointments a month, or 820 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 43% were face to face (England: 63%). 58% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
53% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Sovereign Practice | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 820 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 43% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 58% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (7.7% against 4.6%), dementia (1.1% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.3 years for women and 79.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.7% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.7% | 74.9% |
Sovereign Practice, Princes Park Health Centre, 7 Wartling Road, Eastbourne, BN22 7PG. Phone: 01323 744644.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Seaside Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 92% |
| Vita Healthcare - Grove Road Surgery | 2.3 km | 75% |
| Park Practice | 2.3 km | 73% |
| Arlington Road Medical Practice | 2.3 km | 87% |
| The Lighthouse Medical Practice | 2.3 km | 70% |
- Harbour Medical Practice (75% overall experience good)
- Stone Cross Surgery (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Sovereign Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 68% of patients described their overall experience of Sovereign Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 28% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Sovereign Practice?
13,778 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is Sovereign Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2017.
How many GPs does Sovereign Practice have?
7.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,784 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Sovereign Practice face to face?
43% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Sovereign Practice's phone number?
01323 744644.