The Shrubbery Surgery, Gravesend: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Shrubbery Surgery is a GP practice in Gravesend with 17,064 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in December 2022. It has 6.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,514 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Shrubbery Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 88%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 41%, against 54% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 10 practices in Gravesend with 50 or more responses. 68% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (73%). 73 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | The Shrubbery Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 68% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 48% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 41% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 88% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 86% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 125 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Shrubbery Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in December 2022. 3 key questions are rated differently: Well-led Good, Caring Good and Responsive Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (June 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
17,064 patients were registered at The Shrubbery Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,514 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 5.3 nurses and 6.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| August 2024 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| August 2025 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| August 2026 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,400 appointments a month, or 551 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 62% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
33% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Shrubbery Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 551 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 62% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (7.5% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%), osteoporosis (0.7% against 1.2%) and a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.7 years for women and 78.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.5% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.5% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.6% | 74.9% |
The Shrubbery Surgery, The Shrubbery, 65a Perry Street, Northfleet, Gravesend, DA11 8RD. Phone: 01474 356661.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Springhead Health | 0.5 km | 68% |
| Old Road West Surgery | 1.1 km | 78% |
| Pelham Medical Practice | 1.2 km | 62% |
| Parrock Street Surgery | 1.7 km | 62% |
| Gravesend Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 66% |
- Oakfield Health Centre, Practice 2 (66% overall experience good)
- Springhead Health (68% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Shrubbery Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of The Shrubbery Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 68% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Shrubbery Surgery?
17,064 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is The Shrubbery Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in December 2022.
How many GPs does The Shrubbery Surgery have?
6.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,514 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Shrubbery Surgery face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Shrubbery Surgery's phone number?
01474 356661.