Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries, Kings Lynn: patient reviews and CQC rating
Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries is a GP practice in Kings Lynn with 16,689 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2017. It has 12.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,332 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries
Its result closest to England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 75%, against 77% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 30%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 8th of the 11 practices in Kings Lynn with 50 or more responses. 30% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (68%). 98 patients answered the survey (response rate 20%).
| Survey question | Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 75% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 30% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 47% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 55% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 57% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 89% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 78% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 344 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries is Good, published in September 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (February 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,689 patients were registered at Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries in September 2026, down 4.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
15% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 12.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,332 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 9.4 nurses and 5.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 12.4 | 16.7 |
| August 2024 | 13.1 | 15.2 |
| August 2025 | 12.6 | 14.4 |
| August 2026 | 12.5 | 13.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 13,389 appointments a month, or 802 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 59% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
51% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 802 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 59% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for dementia (0.4% against 0.8%), heart failure (0.8% against 1.1%) and chronic kidney disease (3.6% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 31.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.9 years for women and 76.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 64.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 65.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 58.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 64.3% | 74.9% |
Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries, Southgates Medical and Surgical Centre, 41 Goodwins Road, Kings Lynn, PE30 5QX. Phone: 01553 819477. Website: www.southgates.org.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Gayton Road Health and Surgical Centre | 1.6 km | 76% |
| St James Medical Practice | 3.3 km | 92% |
| The Woottons Surgery | 5.2 km | 75% |
| St Clement's Surgery | 7.5 km | 90% |
| Watlington Medical Centre | 9.0 km | 69% |
- Gayton Road Health and Surgical Centre (76% overall experience good)
- St James Medical Practice (92% overall experience good)
- The Woottons Surgery (75% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of patients described their overall experience of Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries as good, against 77% across England. 30% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries?
16,689 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.2% on a year earlier.
What is Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2017.
How many GPs does Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries have?
12.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (17 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,332 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries's phone number?
01553 819477.