Regal Chambers Surgery, Hitchin: patient reviews and CQC rating
Regal Chambers Surgery is a GP practice in Hitchin with 12,412 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% 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 April 2016. It has 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,430 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Regal Chambers Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 72%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 44%, 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 5 practices in Hitchin with 50 or more responses. 44% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (77%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Regal Chambers Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 44% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 72% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 49% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 133 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Regal Chambers Surgery is Good, published in April 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,412 patients were registered at Regal Chambers Surgery in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,430 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 3.2 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.0 | 11.1 |
| August 2024 | 9.0 | 11.8 |
| August 2025 | 8.5 | 9.3 |
| August 2026 | 8.7 | 9.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,878 appointments a month, or 554 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 62% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
19% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Regal Chambers Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 554 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 62% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 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 (2.8% against 0.6%), atrial fibrillation (3.0% against 2.2%) and serious mental illness (1.3% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (2.7% against 4.6%). 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 83.9 years for women and 80.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.7% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.3% | 74.9% |
Regal Chambers Surgery, Regal Chambers, 50 Bancroft, Hitchin, SG5 1LL. Phone: 01462 453232. Website: www.regalchambers.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Courtenay House Surgery | 0.2 km | 71% |
| The Portmill Surgery | 0.5 km | 90% |
| Hertfordshire Special Allocation Scheme | 0.5 km | -9700% |
| The Nevells Road Surgery | 4.5 km | 66% |
| The Garden City Surgery | 4.6 km | 51% |
- Courtenay House Surgery (71% overall experience good)
- Dr Rajpreet Millan (51% overall experience good)
- The Portmill Surgery (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Regal Chambers Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Regal Chambers Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 44% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Regal Chambers Surgery?
12,412 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Regal Chambers Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2016.
How many GPs does Regal Chambers Surgery have?
8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (12 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,430 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Regal Chambers Surgery face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Regal Chambers Surgery's phone number?
01462 453232.