Dolphins Practice, Haywards Heath: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dolphins Practice is a GP practice in Haywards Heath with 10,443 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Surrey and Sussex: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2016. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,966 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dolphins Practice
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 81%, against 73% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 39%, against 54% across England. With 108 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 6 practices in Haywards Heath with 50 or more responses. 49% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (70%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Dolphins Practice | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 49% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 223 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dolphins Practice is Good, published in October 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,443 patients were registered at Dolphins Practice in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,966 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Surrey and Sussex's 2,031. The practice also has 1.1 nurses and 4.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| August 2024 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| August 2025 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 6.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,675 appointments a month, or 448 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 61% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
24% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dolphins Practice | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 448 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 61% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.3% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and depression (9.0% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 7.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.1 years for women and 80.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.4% | 74.9% |
Dolphins Practice, Nightingale Primary Care Centre, Butlers Green Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4BN. Phone: 01444 414767.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Newtons Practice | 0.9 km | 92% |
| Cuckfield Medical Practice | 1.8 km | 77% |
| Northlands Wood Surgery | 2.5 km | 73% |
| Lindfield Medical Centre | 2.8 km | 80% |
| Meadows Surgery | 4.9 km | 89% |
- Newtons Practice (92% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dolphins Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Dolphins Practice as good, against 77% across England. 49% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dolphins Practice?
10,443 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier.
What is Dolphins Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does Dolphins Practice have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,966 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dolphins Practice face to face?
61% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dolphins Practice's phone number?
01444 414767.