Sandgate Road, Folkestone: patient reviews and CQC rating
Sandgate Road is a GP practice in Folkestone with 12,537 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 57% 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 February 2020. It has 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,447 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Sandgate Road
Its result closest to England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 85%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 25%, 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 8 practices in Folkestone with 50 or more responses. 25% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points higher than in 2025 (49%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Sandgate Road | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 57% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 25% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 33% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 40% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 55% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 89% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 83% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 100 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Sandgate Road is Good, published in February 2020. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,537 patients were registered at Sandgate Road in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,447 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 5.5 nurses and 0.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.3 | 6.4 |
| August 2024 | 4.3 | 10.7 |
| August 2025 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| August 2026 | 8.7 | 11.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,746 appointments a month, or 538 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 40% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Sandgate Road | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 538 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 40% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.4% against 1.2%), dementia (1.4% against 0.8%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.0 years for women and 77.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.4% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 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 | 75.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.9% | 74.9% |
Sandgate Road, The Surgery, 180 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2HN. Phone: 01303 851241.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Manor Clinic | 1.1 km | 69% |
| Guildhall Surgery | 1.5 km | 74% |
| White House Surgery | 1.5 km | 65% |
| Harbour Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 48% |
| The New Surgery | 2.1 km | 49% |
- Guildhall Surgery (74% overall experience good)
- The Manor Clinic (69% overall experience good)
- The New Surgery (49% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Sandgate Road?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 57% of patients described their overall experience of Sandgate Road as good, below the England figure of 77%. 25% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Sandgate Road?
12,537 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Sandgate Road's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2020.
How many GPs does Sandgate Road have?
8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,447 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Sandgate Road face to face?
40% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Sandgate Road's phone number?
01303 851241.