The Saxon Spires Practice, Guilsborough: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Saxon Spires Practice is a GP practice in Guilsborough with 16,237 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 96% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Northamptonshire: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2017. It has 9.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,724 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Saxon Spires Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 93%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 98%, above the England figure of 93%. Of the 11 results in the table, 11 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
93% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points higher than in 2025 (87%). 101 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | The Saxon Spires Practice | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 96% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 93% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 90% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 77% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 95% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 86% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 98% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 98% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 195 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Saxon Spires Practice is Good, published in May 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,237 patients were registered at The Saxon Spires Practice in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,724 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Northamptonshire's 2,413. The practice also has 4.7 nurses and 3.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.7 | 12.6 |
| August 2024 | 8.6 | 13.4 |
| August 2025 | 8.1 | 12.7 |
| August 2026 | 9.4 | 11.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,810 appointments a month, or 481 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 31% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
45% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Saxon Spires Practice | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 481 | 531 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 59% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 31% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.1% against 2.2%), cancer (5.1% against 3.8%) and chronic kidney disease (6.0% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%) and a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.6 years for women and 82.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 74.9% |
The Saxon Spires Practice, West Haddon Road, Guilsborough, NN6 8QE. Phone: 01604 740210. Website: www.saxonspirespractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr's Rookledge, Dean, Llewellyn, Gower & Knight | 7.2 km | 97% |
| Crick Medical Practice | 7.2 km | 90% |
| Husbands Bosworth Surgery | 10.5 km | 90% |
| The Pines Surgery | 12.8 km | 80% |
| Abbey House Medical Practice | 13.9 km | 78% |
- Byfield Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Crick Medical Practice (90% overall experience good)
- Dr's Rookledge, Dean, Llewellyn, Gower & Knight (97% overall experience good)
- Greens Norton Medical Centre (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Saxon Spires Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 96% of patients described their overall experience of The Saxon Spires Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 93% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Saxon Spires Practice?
16,237 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is The Saxon Spires Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2017.
How many GPs does The Saxon Spires Practice have?
9.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (13 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,724 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Saxon Spires Practice face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Saxon Spires Practice's phone number?
01604 740210.