Caradoc Surgery, Frinton-on-sea: patient reviews and CQC rating
Caradoc Surgery is a GP practice in Frinton-on-sea with 8,995 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2023. It has 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,181 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Caradoc Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 86%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 50%, against 57% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (74%). 126 patients answered the survey (response rate 43%).
| Survey question | Caradoc Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 65% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 86% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Caradoc Surgery is Good, published in January 2023. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Inadequate (October 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,995 patients were registered at Caradoc Surgery in September 2026, up 3.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
44% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,181 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 2.1 nurses and 4.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| August 2024 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| August 2025 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| August 2026 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,169 appointments a month, or 575 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 47% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Caradoc Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 575 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 47% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.8% against 0.6%), dementia (2.1% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (11.2% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and depression (9.6% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 79.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 25.7% | 15.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 11.2% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.2% | 7.9% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.3% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 7.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 5.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 2.1% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
Caradoc Surgery, Station Approach, Frinton-on-sea, CO13 9JT. Phone: 01255 850101. Website: www.caradocsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Walton Medical Centre | 2.3 km | 71% |
| Crusader Surgery | 6.0 km | 60% |
| Thorpe-le-Soken Surgery | 6.1 km | 76% |
| Old Road Medical Practice | 8.1 km | 57% |
| East Lynne Medical Centre | 8.2 km | 86% |
- Clacton Community Practices (77% overall experience good)
- Colne Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Great Bentley Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- Ranworth Surgery (73% overall experience good)
- St James Surgery (96% overall experience good)
- Walton Medical Centre (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Caradoc Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of Caradoc Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Caradoc Surgery?
8,995 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.1% on a year earlier.
What is Caradoc Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2023.
How many GPs does Caradoc Surgery have?
4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,181 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Caradoc Surgery face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Caradoc Surgery's phone number?
01255 850101.