Hilary Cottage Surgery, Fairford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Hilary Cottage Surgery is a GP practice in Fairford with 7,601 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Gloucestershire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2018. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,071 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Hilary Cottage Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 76%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 67%, below the England figure of 77%. 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.
49% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (75%). 97 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Hilary Cottage Surgery | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 67% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 49% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 52% | 56% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 89% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 64% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 66% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 89% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 95% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 93% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 206 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Hilary Cottage Surgery is Good, published in June 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,601 patients were registered at Hilary Cottage Surgery in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,071 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Gloucestershire's 1,949. The practice also has 2.5 nurses and 7.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| August 2024 | 4.7 | 6.8 |
| August 2025 | 4.7 | 6.8 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 4.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,053 appointments a month, or 402 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 32% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Hilary Cottage Surgery | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 402 | 574 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 11% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.1% against 4.6%), heart failure (1.9% against 1.1%) and atrial fibrillation (3.8% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.2% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (0.5% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.0 years for women and 81.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.8% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.8% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.1% | 74.9% |
Hilary Cottage Surgery, Keble Lawns, Fairford, GL7 4BQ. Phone: 01285 712377. Website: www.fairfordsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Westrop Medical Practice | 9.3 km | 78% |
| Cricklade Surgery | 9.4 km | 89% |
| Abbey Meads Medical Group | 12.3 km | 75% |
| North Swindon Practice | 13.0 km | 69% |
| Cirencester Health Group | 13.1 km | 79% |
- Cirencester Health Group (79% overall experience good)
- Phoenix Cirencester (80% overall experience good)
- Rendcomb Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- Upper Thames Medical - The Park Surgery and Lechlade Medical (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Hilary Cottage Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of patients described their overall experience of Hilary Cottage Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 49% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Hilary Cottage Surgery?
7,601 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier.
What is Hilary Cottage Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2018.
How many GPs does Hilary Cottage Surgery have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,071 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Hilary Cottage Surgery face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Hilary Cottage Surgery's phone number?
01285 712377.