The Gardens Surgery, London: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Gardens Surgery is a GP practice in London with 5,968 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (South East London: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,827 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Gardens Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 70%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 58%, below the England figure of 69%. 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 365th of the 648 practices in London with 50 or more responses. 60% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (70%). 98 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | The Gardens Surgery | South East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 60% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 70% | 58% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 85% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 58% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 57 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Gardens Surgery is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (February 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,968 patients were registered at The Gardens Surgery in September 2026, down 6.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
13% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,827 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and South East London's 2,350. The practice also has 0.4 nurses and 0.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2024 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| August 2025 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| August 2026 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,733 appointments a month, or 458 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 33% were face to face (England: 63%). 59% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
80% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Gardens Surgery | South East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 458 | 399 | 510 |
| Face to face | 33% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 59% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), coronary heart disease (1.2% against 3.0%) and dementia (0.3% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.6 years for women and 79.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.0% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.2% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.8% | 74.9% |
The Gardens Surgery, The Surgery, The Gardens, London, SE22 9QU. Phone: 020 8693 4715. Website: www.thegardenssurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dulwich Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 72% |
| Sternhall Lane Surgery | 0.7 km | 79% |
| The Nunhead Surgery | 0.7 km | 87% |
| Forest Hill Group Practice | 0.9 km | 51% |
| DMC Chadwick Road | 1.0 km | 70% |
- Brunswick Park Family Practice (79% overall experience good)
- DMC Chadwick Road (70% overall experience good)
- Dr Durston & Partners (76% overall experience good)
- Dr Mahreen Chawdhery (85% overall experience good)
- Dr P Arumugaraasah's & Partners (88% overall experience good)
- Dulwich Medical Centre (72% overall experience good)
- Elm Lodge Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Forest Hill Group Practice (51% overall experience good)
- Parkside Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Queens Road Surgery (67% overall experience good)
- St Giles - Dr M Pandey and Partner (84% overall experience good)
- Sternhall Lane Surgery (79% overall experience good)
- Tessa Jowell GP Surgery (53% overall experience good)
- The Acorn & Gaumont House Surgery (69% overall experience good)
- The Lister Practice (70% overall experience good)
- The Lordship Lane Surgery (82% overall experience good)
- The Nunhead Surgery (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Gardens Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of The Gardens Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 60% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Gardens Surgery?
5,968 patients were registered in September 2026, down 6.6% on a year earlier.
What is The Gardens Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does The Gardens Surgery have?
3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,827 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Gardens Surgery face to face?
33% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Gardens Surgery's phone number?
020 8693 4715.