The Village Surgery, Harpenden: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Village Surgery is a GP practice in Harpenden with 15,444 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2016. It has 7.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,213 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Village Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 93%, above the England figure of 86%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 47%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 3 practices in Harpenden with 50 or more responses. 47% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (78%). 129 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | The Village Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 47% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 63% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 54% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 358 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Village Surgery is Good, published in December 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,444 patients were registered at The Village Surgery in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,213 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 1.8 nurses and 0.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.1 | 10.1 |
| August 2024 | 9.1 | 10.1 |
| August 2025 | 9.5 | 11.4 |
| August 2026 | 7.0 | 10.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,915 appointments a month, or 253 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 22% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Village Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 253 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 22% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (5.5% against 3.8%) and atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%) and COPD (0.8% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 5.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.9 years for women and 83.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 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 | 82.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.8% | 74.9% |
The Village Surgery, Amenbury Lane, Harpenden, AL5 2BT. Phone: 01582 712021. Website: www.thevillagesurgeries.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr A Cashyap and Partners | 0.3 km | 86% |
| The Elms Medical Practice | 0.6 km | 78% |
| Lodge Surgery | 6.1 km | 85% |
| Grange Street Surgery | 6.5 km | 94% |
| Parkbury House Surgery | 6.6 km | 85% |
- Dr A Cashyap and Partners (86% overall experience good)
- The Elms Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Village Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of patients described their overall experience of The Village Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 47% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Village Surgery?
15,444 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is The Village Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2016.
How many GPs does The Village Surgery have?
7.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,213 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Village Surgery face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Village Surgery's phone number?
01582 712021.