Downs Way Medical Practice, Gravesend: patient reviews and CQC rating
Downs Way Medical Practice is a GP practice in Gravesend with 15,902 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% 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 October 2016. It has 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,092 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Downs Way Medical Practice
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 through its website: 34%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 10 practices in Gravesend with 50 or more responses. 36% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (69%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Downs Way Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 36% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 34% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 75% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 50% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 509 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Downs Way Medical Practice is Good, published in October 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,902 patients were registered at Downs Way Medical Practice in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,092 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 10.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.0 | 12.8 |
| August 2024 | 7.0 | 12.6 |
| August 2025 | 7.6 | 9.2 |
| August 2026 | 7.6 | 13.3 |
From July 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,528 appointments a month, or 410 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 53% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
33% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Downs Way Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 410 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 53% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (5.5% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), serious mental illness (0.4% against 1.0%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.3% against 0.6%). 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 85.6 years for women and 82.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 8.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.4% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 74.9% |
Downs Way Medical Practice, Istead Rise Surgery, Worcester Close, Istead Rise, Gravesend, DA13 9LB. Phone: 0844 815 1333. Website: www.downswaymedicalpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Oakfield Health Centre, Practice 2 | 2.0 km | 66% |
| The Shrubbery Surgery | 2.9 km | 79% |
| Old Road West Surgery | 3.1 km | 78% |
| Springhead Health | 3.1 km | 68% |
| Jubilee Medical Group | 3.8 km | 64% |
- Pilgrims Way Surgery (62% overall experience good)
- Swanscombe Health Centre (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Downs Way Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of Downs Way Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 36% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Downs Way Medical Practice?
15,902 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Downs Way Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does Downs Way Medical Practice have?
7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,092 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Downs Way Medical Practice face to face?
53% of appointments from July 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Downs Way Medical Practice's phone number?
0844 815 1333.