Waterside Medical Centre, Leamington Spa: patient reviews and CQC rating
Waterside Medical Centre is a GP practice in Leamington Spa with 14,607 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Coventry and Warwickshire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 6.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,263 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Waterside Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 80%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 70%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 8 practices in Leamington Spa with 50 or more responses. 80% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (88%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Waterside Medical Centre | Coventry and Warwickshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 80% | 64% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 59% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 68% | 60% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 97% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 78% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 269 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Waterside Medical Centre is Outstanding, published in November 2016. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Caring Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Outstanding |
14,607 patients were registered at Waterside Medical Centre in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
12% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,263 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Coventry and Warwickshire's 2,112. The practice also has 2.7 nurses and 2.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| August 2024 | 6.1 | 7.1 |
| August 2025 | 6.1 | 7.1 |
| August 2026 | 6.5 | 8.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,710 appointments a month, or 322 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
60% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Waterside Medical Centre | Coventry and Warwickshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 322 | 486 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 54% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%), dementia (0.4% against 0.8%) and cancer (2.1% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.7 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 10.4% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.7% | 74.9% |
Waterside Medical Centre, Court Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 2BB. Phone: 01926 428321. Website: www.watersidemc.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Spa Medical Centre | 0.4 km | 75% |
| Sherbourne Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 82% |
| Clarendon Lodge | 1.2 km | 88% |
| Croft Medical Centre | 1.4 km | 73% |
| Warwick Gates Family Health Centre | 1.7 km | 73% |
- Clarendon Lodge (88% overall experience good)
- Croft Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
- Lillington Health Hub (94% overall experience good)
- Sherbourne Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Spa Medical Centre (75% overall experience good)
- Warwick Gates Family Health Centre (73% overall experience good)
- Whitnash Medical Centre (74% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Waterside Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Waterside Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 80% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Waterside Medical Centre?
14,607 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Waterside Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Waterside Medical Centre have?
6.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,263 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Waterside Medical Centre face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Waterside Medical Centre's phone number?
01926 428321.