Courtenay House Surgery, Hitchin: patient reviews and CQC rating
Courtenay House Surgery is a GP practice in Hitchin with 17,792 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% 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 March 2018. It has 8.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,119 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Courtenay House Surgery
Its result closest to England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 67%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 29%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 5 practices in Hitchin with 50 or more responses. 37% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (65%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Courtenay House Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 37% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 29% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 77% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 67% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 78% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 84% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 45 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Courtenay House Surgery is Good, published in March 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
17,792 patients were registered at Courtenay House Surgery in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,119 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 1.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| August 2024 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| August 2025 | 7.7 | 12.2 |
| August 2026 | 8.4 | 13.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,023 appointments a month, or 395 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 72% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Courtenay House Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 395 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 72% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 48% | 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 palliative or supportive care needs (1.4% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.0% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for chronic kidney disease (1.3% against 4.6%), heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%) and depression (10.0% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.8 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 | 12.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.1% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 4.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.2% | 74.9% |
Courtenay House Surgery, Courtenay House, Bancroft Court, Hitchin, SG5 1LH. Phone: 01462 434239. Website: www.courtenayhousesurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Regal Chambers Surgery | 0.2 km | 72% |
| Hertfordshire Special Allocation Scheme | 0.3 km | -9700% |
| The Portmill Surgery | 0.3 km | 90% |
| The Nevells Road Surgery | 4.6 km | 66% |
| The Garden City Surgery | 4.8 km | 51% |
- Dr Rajpreet Millan (51% overall experience good)
- Regal Chambers Surgery (72% overall experience good)
- The Portmill Surgery (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Courtenay House Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Courtenay House Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 37% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Courtenay House Surgery?
17,792 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is Courtenay House Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2018.
How many GPs does Courtenay House Surgery have?
8.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (12 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,119 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Courtenay House Surgery face to face?
72% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Courtenay House Surgery's phone number?
01462 434239.