Heathfield Surgery, Heathfield: patient reviews and CQC rating
Heathfield Surgery is a GP practice in Heathfield with 21,941 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 Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in July 2022. It has 10.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,014 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Heathfield Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 73%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 41%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
46% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 13 points lower than in 2025 (90%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 38%).
| Survey question | Heathfield Surgery | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 46% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 41% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 73% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Heathfield Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in July 2022. 3 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2021).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
21,941 patients were registered at Heathfield Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,014 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Surrey and Sussex's 2,031. The practice also has 3.5 nurses and 9.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.0 | 6.8 |
| August 2024 | 12.1 | 13.2 |
| August 2025 | 10.9 | 11.7 |
| August 2026 | 10.9 | 12.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,585 appointments a month, or 346 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 92% were face to face (England: 63%). 16% took place on the day they were booked and 16% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
54% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Heathfield Surgery | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 346 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 92% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 16% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 16% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.6% against 2.2%), cancer (5.3% against 3.8%) and stroke or TIA (2.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), peripheral arterial disease (0.4% against 0.6%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.4% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.1 years for women and 82.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.4% | 74.9% |
Heathfield Surgery, 96-98 High Street, Heathfield, TN21 8JD. Phone: 01435 864999. Website: www.heathfieldsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Meads Medical Centre | 5.2 km | 82% |
| Bird-In-Eye Surgery | 6.3 km | 81% |
| Northlands Wood Surgery | 7.3 km | 73% |
| Lindfield Medical Centre | 8.2 km | 80% |
| Buxted Medical Centre | 8.3 km | 63% |
- Bird-In-Eye Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Buxted Medical Centre (63% overall experience good)
- Herstmonceux Integrative Health Centre (71% overall experience good)
- The Meads Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Heathfield Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Heathfield Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 46% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Heathfield Surgery?
21,941 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.2% on a year earlier.
What is Heathfield Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in July 2022.
How many GPs does Heathfield Surgery have?
10.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (16 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,014 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Heathfield Surgery face to face?
92% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Heathfield Surgery's phone number?
01435 864999.